Little One
by Madame aZure
Summary: Can the household handle taking care of a little child? Or will it prove to be quite the challenge? [Chapters I, II & III feature the main narrative elements of this fanfic. The rest of the chapters are individual stories based on it - they have no particular order and are not necessarily linked one to another unless stated so.]
1. We Have a Tiny Problem

**Title:** Chapter I: We Have a Tiny Problem

 **Writer:** Madame aZure

 **Fandom:** Noblesse;

 **Pairing:** None

 **Genre:** Family;

 **Rating:** K;

 **Warnings:** there are no warnings for this chapter. Read at your own risk.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Noblesse or any of the characters. No trademark infringement or profit is meant from the writing of this fanfiction.

 **Author's note:** This fanfic is just my excuse to write something light in hopes that I will be able to break my annoying writer's block - it will contain several short chapters of mostly fluff and crack.

* * *

"He is so cute!" Tao squealed in delight, leaning over the bed to take a better look at the sleeping child.

"Shhh, you'll wake him!" Takeo shushed him, bringing a finger to his lips to further suggest that they needed to be quiet. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at M-21, a gentle smile softening his sharp features. He hesitantly reached for the child with a hand, carefully running his fingers through his soft, silver locks, making the little werewolf sigh in content. The sniper always had a soft spot for children, and although he knew that the current situation was rather problematic, M-21's predicament was melting his heart into a puddle of adorableness.

A day ago, they had to fight yet another Union agent, who had nothing better to do than attack them and disturb their peaceful life. The battle had been challenging, but all their training had finally paid off and they managed to defeat him. Before they could finish him off, the enemy gathered all his remaining energy into one final attack, targeting Tao and Takeo, since they were the most wounded. M-21 stepped in to deflect it, but much to everyone's dismay, the agent caught him and used the energy to kill himself and the werewolf. A flash of white engulfed them both, the explosion's shockwave preventing anyone from going to their comrade's side to help him.

After the explosion had passed and the dust cloud had finally settled, just a crater was left where the enemy stood and their comrade was nowhere to be found. Despair never tasted bitterer, the thought that their comrade had sacrificed his life for them gripping their hearts into a vice-like claw.

By chance, Takeo caught a flash of silver in the debris, alerting everyone else of what he had spotted. They rushed to where the sniper had showed them, ignoring their own wounds that protested at the movement, because no physical pain was remotely close to how much it hurt to think that their comrade was gone.

Bewilderment stopped them in their tracks when they got there, because although they had found their comrade and he was alive, he had… shrunk? Short, silver hair, scar over his lips – that was M alright, but he didn't seem more than five or six years old.

They took him straight home, so Frankenstein could examine him: the scientist had found that M-21 was in a coma-like state – his brain had temporarily shut down while his body was intensively working to accommodate the sudden change. His pulse rate and breathing were normal, his wounds long since healed. The only things out of the ordinary were his energy levels as well as his energy consumption rate, which were sky high.

Considering the results of his analyzes, Frankenstein theorized that M-21's current state was due to a defense mechanism. Instead of being destroyed by the explosion, his body absorbed the energy, which triggered as a side effect, the reversal of his biological age, since the energy consumption rate of a growing child was higher than that of an adult. This way, he could metabolize the energy without triggering the body's disintegration.

Given that M-21 had already healed and that it was better for him not to wake up in a lab or hospital environment, they took him to his room, keeping a careful watch on him to make sure there weren't any dangerous changes in his health condition.

Right now Tao and Takeo were checking on him, and although it wasn't something time consuming or difficult to do, they lingered in the room just a little more, attracted by the child's sleeping form.

"It's fine. Boss said he'll be out like a light for the next couple of days," the hacker dismissed his comment with a wave of hand. "Besides, just look at him! We have a mini M-21, the pocket version, a travel-sized werewolf," he giggled cheerfully.

The little werewolf was in a deep sleep, undisturbed by the two people in his room. He was curled up under the covers, grasping tightly a corner of the blanket, clutching it to his chest, his breathing steady and his expression relaxed. While Frankenstein was examining him, Seira went out and bought him clothes that would fit him, so he was currently wearing a cute pair of pajamas with a bunny pattern.

"Tao, this is not a laughing matter," the sniper said in a serious voice, but his gentle smile said otherwise.

"You're right," the hacker stated seriously. "It's more like an 'aww' matter. Look, he even has a tiny scar," and his seriousness dissolved into another giggling fit.

"If you've finished checking on him, you should leave," Regis advised them in a quiet voice, peeking in the room through the open door, but not entering as if he was afraid not to wake the child. "You will disturb his sleep," he continued softly, looking at the werewolf with a curious, yet wary expression. He was thankful that his comrade was still alive, but he wasn't sure how to handle the current situation, since M-21 was also …well, small.

"He's right. Let's go, Tao," the sniper said dragging the hacker after him.

"What? No, I wanna play with him! He's adorable!" he protested, not wanting to leave.

TO BE CONTINUED… :)


	2. Taming the Wild Beast

**Title:** Chapter II: Taming the Wild Beast

 **Writer:** Madame aZure

 **Fandom:** Noblesse;

 **Pairing:** None

 **Genre:** Family;

 **Rating:** K;

 **Warnings:** this chapter contains OCC-ness. Read at your own risk.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Noblesse or any of the characters. No trademark infringement or profit is meant from the writing of this fanfiction.

* * *

M-21 woke up with a gasp and sat up quickly, a strong wave of dizziness forcing him to immediately support himself on his arms so he wouldn't fall. He needed a few seconds to adjust, the room spinning around him, a loud ringing resounding in his ears. He screwed his eyes shut and breathed deeply a couple of times, before he reopened them to look around. He was in what appeared to be someone's room, unfortunately one he did not recognize in the least. Whose room was this? How did he get here?

His breath hitched in his throat when he realized that there was no point in trying to remember anything because his head was a mess: emotions intertwined with images and sounds in a chaotic cluster of thoughts that made no sense whatsoever. The only reliable thing he could recall was a fear that echoed dully in the back of his mind… bad people! The bad people probably caught him and now they waited for him to wake up so they could hurt him. He put a hand over his mouth to stop a frightened gasp from being heard, eyes opened wide in horror, his body shaken by a violent tremor. He needed to hide. No, he needed to run!

Without another thought, he jumped out of the bed, rushing to the window, as it was the closest escape route, leading directly outside. Lucky him, it was nighttime, so maybe the bad people were asleep and he could successfully run away. He tried to open it, but the lock was secured in place and it wouldn't budge no matter his efforts. After tugging it repeatedly and obtaining the same result, he finally gave up, realizing there was no way he could jump out the window. He could try to break it with something heavy, but that would alert the bad people. Moreover, from what he could tell from looking outside, the room he was in was on the first floor; jumping from that height wasn't a smart move whatsoever.

He still had another escape route left: the door. Only that it meant he had to make his way right through the heart of the bad people's territory. He could try to be sneaky and slip past them, but it was very dangerous. If they found him, they would punish him for his attempt, but if he stayed in the room, they'd also do the same thing sooner or later, even if they had a reason or not.

His knees were shaking, threatening to give in any moment now, his hands were trembling and he had to bite his lips to stop himself from breathing through his mouth, as it was too loud. It wasn't the right time to be scared. He had to be brave. He had a chance to run away, if only he was willing to take the risk. He had to try…

Making up his mind, he went to the door, opening it as quietly as he could. He took a peak outside, seeing a long hallway with several doors on each side, dimly lit by a few night-lights. With a deep breath, he left the room, moving as stealthily and quickly as he could to the end where he saw some stairs, keeping a watch on the doors, making sure no one ambushed him. It was far too quiet, but maybe it was because it was nighttime. Even bad people had to sleep, hadn't they? Still, something did not feel right, in a good way. The air did not smell like terror and blood, he did not feel malicious eyes watching him from the shadows, his skin wasn't prickling as if he expected to be hurt at any time. It was almost as his fears were unfounded – if only it were true. There was something in his mind telling him that he was safe and had nothing to fear. How could he have nothing to fear when clearly the bad people wanted to hurt him?

He was about to go down the stairs when a door opened behind him, startling him and making him turn around too quickly. He tripped on his own legs, but before he could fall, someone caught him in a safe embrace.

"Easy there, little one," the stranger told him, lifting him up in his arms.

"No! Let go! Let go!" the child started struggling and kicking, fear taking over him, thinking that the other was one of the bad people and will hurt him for his attempt at running away.

"It's alright, I won't hurt you," the other continued in a gentle and patient voice.

M-21 struggled with all his might, pushing with his little hands into the other's chest, hoping to put a little space between them, but there was no escaping from the stranger's secure grasp. The only way for him to escape was to force the other to let him go first, so he resorted to his last solution. In an instant, he sunk his teeth into the closest thing that came into view, which was the stranger's shoulder, biting down until his jaw protested. He wasn't strong enough to break the skin, but even he could cause a little pain. He braced himself, either for being hit for what he was doing or for being released.

The stranger didn't even flinch at the pain, simply sighing, wrapping his arms tightly around the child and bringing him even closer to his chest. One of his hands went up and down the werewolf's back to calm him down, whispering comforting words.

"It's alright, it's alright," he said, gently rocking the child. "Although you must be quite hungry, I assure you wouldn't want to eat me, I'm not nearly as tasty as I look," he chuckled, but the child didn't give in at all, neither his bite nor his frightened trembling faltering.

 _"It is alright,"_ M-21 drew a sharp breath when a gentle voice echoed in his mind, a kind and calming presence embracing him protectively. _"No harm will come to you, you are safe,"_ the words brushed over his thoughts like a light, summer breeze, dispelling his fears. Something told him that the voice told the truth, as a sense of safety flowed from it. The closest thing he could associate to how that presence felt in his mind was basking in sunlight: comforting, safe and oh, so warm.

M-21 remembered he was still biting the stranger and he wondered why the other wasn't yelling at him or hitting him, like the bad people always did.

 _"He is not like the 'bad people', he will not hurt you,"_ the voice told him and once again, he was sure of the veracity of its words.

Frankenstein waited patiently for the child to calm down, as he was still trembling slightly in his arms. Unfortunately, his assumptions were correct and the incident had affected M-21's memories – his behavior was probably due to an innate fear of the persons who hurt him at the Union. Confused and scared, most likely his first thought when he woke up was to run away from any potential threat, even if there was none. Thankfully, Frankenstein could feel his Master's presence around M-21 – he probably felt the child's distress and decided to intervene, since he could convey best to him that they weren't a threat.

Finally, the werewolf hesitantly unclenched his jaw and withdrew, peeking at the stranger who held him in his arms. He had shoulder-length, golden hair, his bright blue eyes seemed to shine in the dim light, and he was smiling warmly at him, not having one of those menacing grins that bad people had.

"Have you finally decided that I am not that tasty?" the scientist raised a brow in amusement.

The child looked at him with a confused and slightly fearful expression, but judging by how he wasn't trembling anymore and his shoulders dropped into a more relaxed position, he was calmer.

"Oh, we haven't got acquainted yet. My name is Frankenstein and I –" he paused. He knew he was supposed to reassure the child that he was not part of the people who wanted to hurt him, but how much did the child know?

 _"He is afraid of the 'bad people',"_ Raizel spoke to Frankenstein this time, his hint being exactly what the scientist needed to use.

"– and I am someone who fights the 'bad people'," Frankenstein told him in the most serious and non-threatening tone possible to show him that he truly meant what he stated, knowing that M-21 would understand what he meant through 'bad people'. His statement certainly had an effect on the child, as his eyes grew wide, not with fear but with awe.

 _"He can protect you, you can trust him,"_ Raizel underlined Frankenstein's words, further reassuring the child.

"You fight them?" M-21 asked in an unsure but hopeful tone.

"Of course, they're mean, aren't they?" the scientist said it as it was something obvious, feeling his Master's amusement coming through their bond. Seeing as the scientist could handle it, Raizel withdrew and let him take care of everything.

The werewolf didn't answer, weighting his words with a cautious expression. He wasn't sure what to believe: the other hadn't tried hurting him or yelling at him, but that didn't mean he wouldn't attempt to in the future. Sure, the voice told him he wasn't in danger, but aside from that safety feeling, he didn't have any real proof and it was better to act carefully.

"What's your name?" Frankenstein asked, because although he knew M-21's name, it was better to see what the child knew.

"I don't know…," the werewolf mumbled unsure, sadness flashing in his eyes. Frankenstein needed to change the subject quickly as he had unknowingly brought up a touchy topic, since M-21 appeared to remember close to nothing.

"I see. What should I call you then?"

The child shrugged lightly, careful with his defiant behavior, but he really had no idea what the other should call him. Bad people addressed him with 'you'.

"How about…," Frankenstein hummed, "little one?" The child was taken aback by the nickname, blinking in surprise, then his eyes narrowed into his trademark frown. It was a vicious expression… as vicious as a kitten's.

"I'm not little," he grumbled, his lower lip sticking out involuntarily into a pout.

"I see, my mistake then," the scientist couldn't help but chuckle. He glanced at the wall clock, "Oh, it's quite late. However, it's the perfect time for a midnight snack. Would you like some cookies and milk?"

Frankenstein hadn't missed the spark of interest in the child's eyes at the word 'cookies', even though he averted his gaze and made no attempt at either accepting or rejecting the offer.

The scientist wondered if he should put the child down or not, deciding on the latter. He went down the stairs and into another hallway, entering through one of the doors on its sides. He turned the lights on, revealing what appeared to be a spacious living room, the child blinking repeatedly at the brightness before his eyes adjusted. The werewolf scanned the room with a curious expression, taking in every little detail, from the framed pictures on the wall, to the flower arrangements on the coffee table, to comfy-looking sofa. It didn't look like one of the white, scary rooms he was used to, it looked like a… home?

"I'll be right back," Frankenstein told M-21 after he put him on the sofa, briefly ruffling his hair.

Several minutes later, he came back with a tray that had two tall glasses of chocolate milk and a plate of cookies on it. The scientist placed it on the coffee table in front of the child, took one of the glasses and sat on a chair. He figured it would be easier for M-21 to accept the food, if he ate and drank too.

Seeing as the werewolf looked at him expectantly, he took a sip from his beverage, then turned his head to look out the window as if something caught his attention, knowing that the child would probably want to inspect the food before eating.

Thinking that the other wasn't paying attention to him, M-21 quickly dipped a finger in the chocolate milk and brought it to his lips, tasting it. It was sweet, not having that pill after-taste like he was used to. Hesitantly, he took the glass with both hands, eying its contents – the blond drank the same thing and it didn't taste bad, so it had to be safe, hadn't it? Just a sip couldn't hurt, could it?

Frankenstein turned his head back to the child just as he brought the glass to his lips and took a big sip. He had to stop himself from chuckling when the werewolf was left with a milk mustache after drinking, which he proceeded to lick immediately.

"Do you like it?" he asked as M-21 was trying to remove the milk off his upper lip with his tongue.

The child nodded shyly and looked at the cookies.

"The bad people…," he began timidly, "you said you fight them. Are you the one who saved me from them?" M-21 tilted his head.

"In a sense, yes," of course there was more to the story, but those details weren't exactly suitable for a child, so the scientist chose to omit them.

"Why?"

Frankenstein had to keep himself from frowning, because there was something in the child's expression that said 'why bother?' M-21 always had a penchant towards low self-esteem and self-sacrifice, and it appeared that his younger version wasn't any different.

"One shouldn't need a reason to do what is right," the scientist smiled at him and took a cookie from the plate, encouraging the child to do the same.

The werewolf averted his eyes, gaze lost somewhere in the distance, pondering what the blond just told him.

"Thank you," he whispered after a few moments of silence. Be it for the sweet treat or the fact that Frankenstein treated him with gentleness and care, that was left unsaid.

TO BE CONTINUED… :)


	3. Meet The Family

**Title:** Chapter III: Meet The Family

 **Writer:** Madame aZure

 **Fandom:** Noblesse;

 **Pairing:** None

 **Genre:** Family;

 **Rating:** K;

 **Warnings:** there are no warnings for this chapter. Read at your own risk.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Noblesse or any of the characters. No trademark infringement or profit is meant from the writing of this fanfiction.

 **Author's Note:** Chapter I, II and III feature the setting for this AU. From now on, the chapters will have individual stories based on it – the stories will have no particular order and won't necessarily be linked together.

* * *

M-21 peeked through the opened door, scrutinizing the living room and assessing the threat: the person who gave him cookies and milk last night was surrounded by four strangers. They seemed busy setting the table, going in and out of the room and haven't yet noticed him hiding. He was fidgeting, trying to decide what to do, carefully watching them from behind the doorframe to make sure they didn't suddenly approached him or something similar.

One thing he was sure of: he needed to get to the blond. After a few moments of pondering, he came up with an attack strategy. If he waited patiently for a moment when all the other strangers left the room and Frankenstein remained alone, he was sure he could quickly cover the distance between them and reach him before anyone else noticed.

When the moment he was looking for came, he took a deep breath, waited for the white-haired lady to finally leave the room, then sprinted as quickly as he could from his hiding spot to Frankenstein's side.

In reality, the household members noticed him straight away, but they acted like they didn't, giving M-21 enough time to make his own decisions, as he felt safer thinking that he was 'hidden' from them. Seeing as the little one was constantly looking at Frankenstein, they guessed that he wanted to get to him, but he was cautious of them. Through a silent agreement, they decided to leave the room, to see what the child would do when the scientist was left alone. They had to make a great effort of will to contain their smiles when M-21 rushed to Frankenstein's side, because his tippy-toe running was adorable.

The little werewolf almost collided with Frankenstein's leg, skidding to a stop near him. He grasped the material of his trousers in a determined grip, looking up at him and waiting to be noticed by the adult.

"Good morning," the scientist gave him a gentle smile, crouching down to meet the child's eye level. The motion forced the werewolf to let go of his pants, gripping instead his sleeve, as a physical reassurance that the other wouldn't run away and leave him alone. His silver eyes shined daringly, as if he was challenging Frankenstein to try and brush him away, his whole demeanor exclaiming: _'You earned my trust, I'm not letting you go!'_ Of course, Frankenstein could do nothing but comply with the little one's unspoken request.

"Good morning," M-21 mumbled unsure, throwing wary glances at the others when they came back into the room.

"Have you slept well?" Frankenstein asked, ignoring the little hands that creased his perfectly ironed dress-shirt.

M-21 shrugged, carefully watching the others out the corner of his eyes, shifting closer to the scientist.

"Let me introduce you to the others, alright?" Frankenstein asked.

The child narrowed his eyes to him, not too keen on the idea, but nodded nonetheless, staying still when the other wrapped his arms around him, picking him up. He snuggled comfortably against the scientist's chest, sighing in relief as the embrace gave him a sense of safety.

"They are Miss Seira, Regis, Takeo, Tao," Frankenstein told him their names, gesturing to each of them with a wave of hand, "– and this is little one," he finished the introductions.

"Hi there," Tao greeted him excitedly, smiling brightly, coming a little too close for comfort to him, making the little werewolf frown suspiciously at him. "I'm Tao," yeah, he knew that, Frankenstein had just introduced them.

"Tao, you're bothering him," Takeo sighed at his comrade's excitement, even though he looked like he wanted to come closer to the child too.

"I just want to make friends with him," the hacker answered, reaching out to ruffle M-21's hair, but one glare from the child told him it was better to keep his hand to himself, unless he wanted to get bitten. Frankenstein had told them all about M-21's condition, not omitting the fact that he was cautious, if not frightened of strangers and would attempt to either defend himself or run away, so it was better not to act around him in a way that could be perceived as a threat.

"Perhaps it would be better to let him choose whether he wants to befriend you or not," Regis advised him, arms crossed over his chest. He knew better than to approach the child in such an enthusiastic manner, but the hacker always had trouble comprehending the concept of 'personal space'. He eyed the little one, a fleeting thought passing through his mind, a thought that everybody else tried to hide behind a cheerful façade: how much of his comrade was left in the child?

M-21 shifted his gaze from Tao to the noble, sizing him up, thinking that he was a little… short for his grown-up attitude and fancy way of speaking. Near him stood the pretty lady, Seira was her name? She gave him a small smile, then turned around and went into the kitchen, disappearing from the view, making the werewolf wonder if she was shy or if she didn't like crowds.

The hacker opened his mouth to say something, when a new person entered the room, drawing everyone's attention.

"Good morning, Master," Frankenstein greeted the stranger with a smile. "Little one, this is Raizel," he said looking back at the child, who completely stopped paying attention to them.

M-21 was looking at Raizel, his eyes sparkling with curiosity, head slightly tilted to the side. He was sure he hadn't met this person before, but somehow he felt familiar. His presence was calming and safe… just like the kind voice that spoke to him last night. Moreover, there was something about the other that intrigued him: he could tell the other was special somehow, but he just couldn't put his finger on how exactly was he unique.

A small, gentle smile from the said noble derailed the werewolf's train of thoughts, surprising him. He shied even closer to Frankenstein, peeking occasionally at Raizel, who simply went and took a seat at the table, waiting for everyone to get seated as well.

"Little one, would you like to join us for breakfast?" Frankenstein chuckled lightly at the child's reaction to meeting his Master, the werewolf snapping out of his daze and nodding in response.

The scientist went to the table and tried to lay the child on a chair, but he had quite the death grip on his shirt, refusing to let go. He sighed, because if he considered the enhanced humans as his children, well, with M-21 in his current state, he was going to get a real taste of what parenthood was all about. Instead of forcing the child to release him, he simply took a seat at the table and placed him on his lap.

As everyone took their places at the table, Seira returned with another plate and a set of tableware for the child, which she placed near Frankenstein's.

M-21 looked dumbfounded at the already filled plate that was placed before him. To say it looked funny was an understatement, and he wasn't the only one shocked by it, given the others' reactions: Regis looked at it with a raised brow, Tao had to stifle his snickers and Takeo simply smiled.

The food smelled amazing and was appetizing nonetheless, but… the chocolate chip pancakes were shaped like a teddy bear head, with little smiling expressions drawn on them with chocolate syrup, the fruit salad on the side had all the pieces cut in a star shape, and there were also two cupcakes that had a bright, rainbow colored cream on top of them.

The werewolf glanced at Seira, who had a proper and elegant posture, apparently unaffected by the glances she received from the others, but even she couldn't mask the slight blush that redden her cheeks while waiting for the child's reaction. M-21 looked up at Frankenstein with a questioning expression, silently asking why his food looked so funny.

"Thank you, Miss Seira," Frankenstein thanked her in the werewolf's place.

The noble nodded in acknowledgement, taking a seat at the table, but it was clear she still waited anxiously for the child's opinion on her attempt at a cute breakfast.

"Let me help you," the scientist said, considering that it was better not to let a five-year-old handle the knife. He cut the pancakes into bite-sized pieces, before giving the child the fork, which he held with an awkward grip, not quite having the dexterity of an adult. The werewolf eyed the food one more time – given that what Frankenstein gave him last night had been safe to eat, this had to be too, hadn't it? Hesitantly, he picked a piece and ate it – the pancakes were delicious, so sweet and fluffy like a cloud.

"Do you like it?" Seira asked in a timid but hopeful tone.

The child nodded, continuing to eat, now more confident that the food was safe and most importantly, very tasty. Shortly, everyone started eating as well, Frankenstein having a little trouble, since it was difficult to reach the dishes around the child in his lap.

Out the corner of his eyes, M-21 peeked curiously at the others, studying them – the way they interacted with such ease and familiarity gave the impression that they had been together for a long time and they got used to one another. Their behavior didn't felt fake or forced, as if they were pretending to be happy just for the sake of a façade, which was something the bad people usually did. The atmosphere was jovial and light-hearted, and they almost looked like a normal family having breakfast together.

As for his first impressions about them… He didn't like Tao – that was clear. The hacker was a little too cheerful, excited and energetic for his taste, and he had not appreciated his attempt at petting him.

Takeo kept his distance and even told Tao not to bother him, so he was ok in his books. The werewolf was a little curious as to why did the sniper have such a long hair, like a lady would have – hm, maybe he liked it that way?

Regis looked like a child but behaved like an adult, which was a little odd, and there was something in his eyes that told M-21 that their personalities would clash, should they be standing on equal grounds, but since he was a stranger in that house, he knew it would be better not to push anyone's buttons… yet.

There was no way that someone who could make such delicious pancakes could be bad, so Seira was on his white list too. He liked the pretty lady since she was calm, collected and minded her own business.

Raizel… he didn't know what to think about him yet. He hadn't spoken a word, nor had he done anything to prove whether he was good or bad, but somehow he felt… safe and warm.

Frankenstein was definitely his top pick, should he need to run to someone for help. The kind voice told him that he would protect him, so it had to be true, hadn't it? Moreover, he didn't get mad when M-21 bit him and even gave him cookies, so he had to be a good person – someone mean would've never saved him from the bad people.

He didn't fully trust them yet and who knew what the future would bring, but somehow M-21 knew it would all be alright… wouldn't it?

TO BE CONTINUED… :)


	4. Touch

**Title:** Chapter IV: Touch

 **Writer:** Madame aZure

 **Fandom:** Noblesse;

 **Pairing:** None

 **Genre:** Family;

 **Rating:** K;

 **Warnings:** there are no warnings for this chapter. Read at your own risk.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Noblesse or any of the characters. No trademark infringement or profit is meant from the writing of this fanfiction.

 **Author's Note:** ben4kevin asked for Raizel/Little!M-21 moments.

* * *

 _"Frankenstein, I require your assistance,"_ Raizel's voice echoed through the mental link, calling his loyal servant.

 _"Yes, Master,"_ Frankenstein promptly answered, ready to serve him.

 _"M-21 has fallen asleep on me. What should I do?"_ the Noblesse asked, looking at the little child leaning against him, sleeping peacefully.

 _"I will come right away and take him to his room_ , _"_ the scientist said and Raizel could visualize him standing up from his desk to come and solve the problem.

 _"There is no need,"_ the noble stopped him. _"I only wish to know what would make his sleep more comfortable_ , _"_ he had little experience with small children and would rather trust Frankenstein's judgment, given that he was originally a human, much like M-21, and he was sure to have the proper information on the matter.

 _"Oh,"_ Frankenstein said, amusement flowing through the link. _" See that he is covered with a blanket and that he is in a comfortable position. Also, children find it calming when someone caresses their head."_

Raizel gently guided the little one's head on his lap, careful not to wake him, his touch so delicate M-21 hardly felt it. With an elegant wave of hand, the noble materialized a blanket over him, just like Frankenstein told him to, making sure the texture was perfect for the child. The werewolf curled against the noble like a cat, shifting to be as close to him as possible, letting out a short pleased sigh.

The Noblesse frowned a little, pondering how exactly he should caress the child. Harming him was out of question, as Raizel carried himself with so much care, grace and elegance it was practically impossible for him to hurt anyone unless he wished so – complete control over his abilities was one of his fundamental attributes as Noblesse. The issue was that he was a little… inexperienced when it came to physical touches. Compared to the nobles, humans were naturally more tactile in their interpersonal relationships – kisses, hugs, pats on the shoulder, handshakes, a lot of their emotions were expressed through little touches.

Raizel was hesitating, considering how exactly he should caress M-21, how much pressure he should put in his touch, what were the perfect moves, the rhythm he should follow. His hand descended slowly into the child's silver hair, carefully threading his fingers through the silky locks. He smiled shyly, seeing as the werewolf did not stir at the initial contact, continuing to sleep soundly. Now more confident that he had chosen the proper caressing technique, Raizel continued, not knowing that his touch was in fact far too delicate. After a few moments, M-21's lips curled into a smile and he giggled softly in his sleep, tickled by the feather-like touches. Letting out a short huff, the child reflexively reached to catch whatever was tickling him, grasping the noble's hand.

 _"He is laughing,"_ the noble's brows rose in surprise at the child's reaction, looking at the little hand curled around two of his fingers in a determined grip.

 _"It appears that he is ticklish,"_ Frankenstein chuckled lightly. _"I would advise against continuing tickling him as it might wake him up."_

Considering that shaking free from the child's grasp would wake him up, Raizel let him hold his hand. Using his other hand and taking into account the scientist's advice, the noble put just a little more pressure at the tip of his fingers, caressing the werewolf once again. M-21 seemed to like it, sighing in content, bringing Raizel's hand to his chest, keeping it close to his heart.

TO BE CONTINUED… :)


	5. Redemption

**Title:** Chapter V: Redemption

 **Writer:** Madame aZure

 **Fandom:** Noblesse;

 **Pairing:** None

 **Genre:** Family;

 **Rating:** K;

 **Warnings:** there are no warnings for this chapter. Read at your own risk.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Noblesse or any of the characters. No trademark infringement or profit is meant from the writing of this fanfiction.

* * *

The child looked at him with fearful eyes, lower lip trembling softly, his little arms pulled to the chest in a protective manner, shoulders drawn in, adopting a hunched posture that was meant to reduce damage should the other decide to hit him, backing away slowly.

Oh, god, what has he done? Frankenstein should've known better than to raise his voice at a child! The little one hasn't even done anything wrong – he simply attached to his leg like always, following him around. With this new 'pocket accessory' the scientist couldn't get any work done, which was rather frustrating. Before he could ask someone from the household to take care of M-21, he had raised his voice, his dark aura seeping out. He didn't even have the intention to scare him, merely to attention him, but the child reacted really badly to his louder than usual voice and threatening aura. Now there he was: standing in front of a terrified 5-year-old, who looked about to cry, but bravely tried to hold back his tears. Frankenstein felt guilt twist his heart at the little one's behavior, because all the trust he had worked to build these last days had vanished in a second of inattention.

"I'm sorry, I –" he kneeled before the child, reaching out to caress his hair, only to have him shy away as if he thought the scientist would attempt to hurt him. The little one scanned the room around him with fugitive glances, trying to find a way to escape, because angry adults were dangerous. Angry adults liked to hit him – and despite the trust he had put into Frankenstein, he wouldn't risk it. He had to run and hide until the other calmed down. If he stayed out of his sights until then, he would be safe, he wouldn't get hurt. He just prayed the other didn't like that liquid that made the other adults lose their temper and become even more violent – if he did, he did not stood a chance.

"Little one," the scientist called him in a gentle voice, making the child turn his head to him rapidly. "Please, forgive me. I never meant to raise my voice," he said calmly, but M-21 didn't believe him in the least, still holding a defensive position.

"If it makes you feel safer, I will leave and ask someone else to take care of you, is that alright?" he asked, knowing that it was better to put some distance between them and give the child the safe space he needed to calm down. It would account to nothing trying to convince him to trust him – trust was built in time and destroyed in a second.

The child looked at him, trying to figure out what Frankenstein wanted to do. He was the first adult to give him the option to be left alone. Usually, they'd snap at him and, in mere seconds, they would hit him – they did not waste words on explanations and choices.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked timidly, and in that moment Frankenstein felt his heart being torn apart by that faltering voice, the same way it was torn when his Master used his own life to protect those important to him.

"No. What happened was all my fault, you are not to blame," the scientist answered, shaking his head.

"You… you won't hit me?" the werewolf asked, still not making any attempt at running away. If the other wanted to hurt him, he would've already done it – it's not like M-21 could fight him anyway. Besides, this whole situation was weird: despite what happened, the blond still felt safe. These past few days, he took care of him, fed him, bought him clothes and did not hurt him in any way. Sure, he was a little silly, the way he fussed over Raizel, who was a grown up and could obviously take care of himself, but he was a good person… The blond scared him when he shouted at him, but he immediately said he was sorry about what he had done – bad people never said they were sorry. The werewolf was still unsure, but there was something he could do to test him.

"Never, I give you my word," the scientist put a hand over his heart to signify the promise he made.

"Are you feeling sorry?" the child slowly let go of his defensive position, but was still cautious of the other.

"Yes," Frankenstein answered with conviction.

"Make me pancakes."

"Excuse me?" Frankenstein raised his brows in surprise.

"You said you're sorry," the child averted his eyes, deciding to see how far he could push his luck, knowing that bad people hated being defied. "Make me pancakes," he repeated quietly, looking at him under his eyelashes.

Frankenstein huffed in amusement and relief – this was probably the most unexpected and favorable outcome he could have anticipated. If this is what he had to do in order to reconcile with the child…well, he had some cooking to do.

"Right away. I suppose you want chocolate chip pancakes?" he asked, smiling warmly.

The child looked at him for a few moments, and pleased by what the scientist said, he nodded, and approached him with wary, slow steps. Frankenstein stood still, waiting to see what M-21 wanted to do, smiling gently when the little one hugged him, expecting to be embraced in return. Sneaky little werewolf! However, the scientist obliged, wrapping his arms around the child and picking him up. He stood up, taking M-21 to the kitchen: he had an order of chocolate chip pancakes to make to buy his redemption.

TO BE CONTINUED… :)


	6. Cookie Monster

**Title:** Chapter VI: Cookie Monster

 **Writer:** Madame aZure

 **Fandom:** Noblesse;

 **Pairing:** None

 **Genre:** Family;

 **Rating:** K;

 **Warnings:** there are no warnings for this chapter. Read at your own risk.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Noblesse or any of the characters. No trademark infringement or profit is meant from the writing of this fanfiction.

 **Author's Note:** Solace asked for Muzaka to make an appearance.

* * *

Muzaka looked at him with wide eyes, his mouth agape, shocked at the sight. The pup… was even smaller than he remembered. The puppy, who barely reached his waist, was hiding behind Frankenstein, looking at him with mistrustful eyes, gripping the fabric of the scientist's pants.

"H-how?" the werewolf asked, pointing at the puppy with a finger, looking at Frankenstein with a what-the-hell expression.

"He suffered a forced biological age reset through a defensive mechanism which was triggered by the reflexive absorption of a massive amount of energy," the scientist said it quickly, but when he saw the lost expression on the werewolf's face, he rephrased his answer. "He shrunk."

"Oh," that wasn't really an explanation, but Muzaka chose not to press the matter, because he was sure he wouldn't understand the mechanics behind the pup's current state. "Hi there," Muzaka crouched before the child, smiling broadly. The puppy hid behind Frankenstein even more, frowning at the stranger. "It's ok, I won't hurt you," he told him, but the pup made no attempt to come out from his hiding spot behind the scientist. The child's eyes went wide when Muzaka extended a hand, wanting to ruffle his hair. Frankenstein noticed his reaction and stepped in front of him, completely shielding M-21 from the other werewolf.

"I'd appreciate if you'd refrain from doing that," the scientist said when Muzaka looked up at him with a confused expression.

Frankenstein turned back at the child and picked him up in his arms. "Let's go tell Master that his friend came to visit, ok?"

M-21 nodded and wrapped his arms around Frankenstein's neck, looking over his shoulder at Muzaka, with a wary, yet curious expression.

The werewolf continued smiling at him and followed them into the living room, a little disappointed he couldn't cuddle the child.

"Hey, Raizel," Muzaka said, draping himself on an armchair, the Noblesse greeting him with a nod.

"Stay with Master while I go prepare some tea and snacks," Frankenstein told M-21, putting him down on the sofa.

"I can help," M-21 said, glancing at Muzaka.

"Don't you want to stay with Master?" the scientist asked, making the child consider it. He wasn't too keen on staying in the same room with the stranger, but after throwing a glance at Raizel, he nodded, shifting closer to him. He hid behind the noble, peeking occasionally at Muzaka. The child was cautious, but curious – he probably felt that Muzaka was a werewolf too.

 **~Z~**

They were talking for a while, or mostly Muzaka was talking and Raizel listening, when the werewolf unknowingly reached for one of the snacks on Raizel's plate.

"Those are his cookies." M-21 warned him, eyes narrowing at Muzaka, making him stop before he took one of them. "Don't eat his cookies, eat your own," the pup continued and Muzaka had to refrain himself from smiling like an idiot at the little puppy, who apparently was protecting Raizel's cookies. Even the Noblesse seemed amused at his reaction, a small smile appearing on his lips.

"Oh, and what if I want to eat them?" Muzaka asked, smirking.

The child glared at him, pondering what to do: it wasn't like he could fight the stranger anyway. Frankenstein could fight him, but he went to prepare more tea, so for now M-21 had to buy time.

"Here, have mine. Leave his alone," he said pushing his plate of cookies to the werewolf, but the other did not accept his offer.

"How about a deal?" Muzaka asked. "If you give me a hug, I won't eat Raizel's cookies," he really wanted to cuddle that precious, little pup, who glared at him with the cutest frown he has ever seen.

M-21 really, really didn't want to get any closer to the stranger, but Raizel's cookies were in danger and Frankenstein was nowhere in sight. He was sure the other wouldn't hurt him, given that he was Raizel's friend, but that didn't mean hugging him would be pleasant. Still, if he didn't do something quick, that greedy meanie would eat everything, and that would upset the noble.

M-21 slowly slid off the sofa, mustering his courage to come closer to him. He approached him with careful steps, making sure he could retreat at any moment. Muzaka stood up from the chair, then crouched down in front of the pup, with his arms open wide, inviting him to hug him.

"You better leave Raizel's cookies alone," the puppy mumbled.

"I promise."

M-21 cautiously wrapped his arms around Muzaka's neck, feeling the other embrace him in a warm hug. He was really warm, warmer than anyone in the household, and the child wondered if it was because the other felt similar to him, in a way.

"I see that you have become friends now," Frankenstein said as he came back with the tea.

When M-21 saw the scientist enter the room, he attempted to escape the hug, only to find himself lifted in Muzaka's embrace as the other stood up. The puppy was more than irritated that he was tricked, and started pushing against the other's chest to put some distance between them. He looked at Frankenstein with an alarmed expression, asking to be saved from the stranger. The scientist sensed M-21's distress and came to them to help him.

"It seems that I have guessed wrong, he doesn't really like you," Frankenstein sighed.

"What are you saying, we've just become friends," Muzaka ignored his comment, cuddling the little child.

"No, we haven't. You're just a big bully who eats other people's cookies!" the pup squirmed and struggled further, glaring at the other.

"See, he doesn't like you," the scientist said, a little proud at M-21's courage.

"Ah, but I just wanted to hug him," Muzaka pouted playfully, energetically ruffling the pup's hair.

"Go. Hug. A tree," M-21 hissed in annoyance, one of his hands founding its way onto Muzaka's face, pushing it away, but the other just smiled at the pup's antics.

"There, there, let's go have our afternoon nap," the scientist chuckled at the child's witty comeback, finally taking him from the other werewolf's arms.

The moment he saw himself in Frankenstein's embrace, M-21 wrapped his arms around the other's neck, holding him close and glaring furiously at Muzaka. Nope, he did not like the other in the least.

TO BE CONTINUED… :)


	7. Her

**Title:** Chapter VII: Her

 **Writer:** Madame aZure

 **Fandom:** Noblesse;

 **Pairing:** None

 **Genre:** Family;

 **Rating:** T;

 **Warnings:** this chapter contains violence. Read at your own risk.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Noblesse or any of the characters. No trademark infringement or profit is meant from the writing of this fanfiction.

* * *

Raizel, Regis and Seira entered the living room, finally home after spending the whole afternoon with the children at the arcades. The Noblesse suddenly stopped in his tracks and frowned, his scarlet eyes clouded with sadness, but before Frankenstein could ask him what was the reason for his reaction, M-21 appeared in the doorway. The little child was crying, sniffling softly, his hands gripping the hem of his shirt, his lithe body trembling with every shaky intake of air. One glance at Frankenstein and he ran to him, the other kneeling and picking him up.

"What happened?" he asked softly, knowing that the child should've been taking his afternoon nap. He cradled the little child to his chest in a protective manner, rubbing comforting circles on his back to calm him down. The child hugged him with trembling arms, hiding his face into the scientist's neck.

"Mommy," that simple bundle of words resounded in the room like a thunder, as if the mere air shattered at the impact of its importance. Every member of the household unknowingly held their breath, fearing that a simple draw of air could disturb the fragileness of this moment. "I dreamed about mommy," the child continued sniffling.

"How?" the scientist asked, knowing that it was practically impossible since M-21's memories were erased through drugs – he couldn't have remembered his mother, he couldn't have remembered anything at all from his youth. Of course, there was a small chance that some memory fragments were still intact despite all the drugs he had been forced to take, but at the same time, there was another, crueler possibility: M-21 could've simply remembered some woman he had met while working for the Union and miscalled her his mother.

"I saw her," the child insisted, gripping Frankenstein's shirt. "They took her away…" more tears started flowing down his cheeks. "They took mommy away…" his voice broke with the last word, biting his lips to suppress his cries.

Frankenstein kept silent. He knew he should say something to soothe the werewolf's anguish, but no matter how much he through, he couldn't arrange a few words to form a sentence that could fit this delicate situation. After all, was there anything to be said that could ease the pain of a child crying for his mother?

"She was brave," Raizel spoke in a gentle voice, making the child look at him with teary eyes. He came to them with unhurried, steady steps. "She protected you," he reached to run his fingers through the child's hair, hoping to comfort him even a little. But even the Noblesse couldn't ease the werewolf's pain and he started to cry again.

No one said another word, letting the little one express his sorrow trough his bitter tears, as this was the only way for him to calm down now. The only thing they could do was be there for him… and they felt it wasn't enough.

 **~Z~**

"Master, had M-21 really remembered his mother?" Frankenstein asked quietly, cradling the werewolf's sleeping form to his chest after the little one had cried himself to sleep. The child's eyes were red and puffy, his lashes wet with tears, and from time to time he would whimper and sniffle, gripping the scientist's shirt as a reassurance that he was not alone.

Raizel looked at the teacup in his hand, his gaze lost somewhere in the amber liquid. When he arrived home, his mind instinctually reached out to M-21's as the child's anguish was so great, so raw he almost thought he had been hurt physically. In the werewolf's mind, the same scene repeated over and over, too painful to remember, but too important to forget.

 _A woman with long silver hair struggled relentlessly, trying to shake free from the hold of the two soldiers holding her, until a third soldier hit her in the stomach with all the power he could muster, using the stock of his rifle. She gasped as the hit stole her breath away, the pain making her reflexively hunch forward. She screwed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth, refusing to cry out and give them the satisfaction of seeing her like that. After a few moments, the pain had dulled enough for her to reopen them and glare at the soldier who hit her._

 _"That ought to calm you down, livestock," he laughed mockingly at her, before turning his head to M-21._

 _She paled when she saw where he was looking, but in a matter of moments, her expression changed from desperation to a ferocious determination, her golden eyes shining fearlessly. With a snarl, she yanked one of her hands out of a soldier's hold, punching the other straight in the face, forcing him too to release her. Without a second thought, she attacked the third, pushing him to the ground and wrestling him for his rifle._

With a gunshot, the memory fragment came to a sudden end. Being nothing but a shard, it was incomplete and insufficient, not attached to any reliable detail such as a name, a localization in time and space, or a specific reason for those soldiers to do what they did. That memory shard survived in M-21's mind only because it was so tangled in his emotions, it became a fundamental part of himself. That memory marked the turning point in his life, when he had lost everything he had, the root of who he has become. It was so small and so deeply buried in the werewolf's subconscious, it was almost impossible to recall it voluntarily and yet, something forced it to resurface into his conscious mind. He had instantly recognized his mother, as his bond with her could not be shattered through mere drugs, being part of his most basic instincts.

"He had," Raizel finally answered, those two words weighting heavier than they should've.

"Have you seen it? His memory?" Tao asked in a serious tone, having lost his usual cheerfulness after what happened.

"Unfortunately, I did," he regretted having overstepped the boundary of the child's consent regarding his own mind, but at the time, he felt the werewolf suffering greatly and he instinctively reached out to help him.

"Was there any detail, no matter how small, that could help us identify him or his mother? A name? A place? Anything?" the hacker asked, knowing that even the most insignificant part could be used as a starting point in searching more about his comrade's past, but much to his dismay, Raizel shook his head.

The noble looked at the sleeping child. There was a chance that there were similar memory shards hidden in M-21's mind, but searching for them would be extremely painful for the child and under no circumstances would the noble want to hurt him. Perhaps, when the werewolf returned to his normal state, the Noblesse could tell him about it and let him chose whether he wanted to force the shards to resurface or not.

TO BE CONTINUED… :)


	8. Carrots

**Title:** Chapter VIII: Carrots

 **Writer:** Madame aZure

 **Fandom:** Noblesse;

 **Pairing:** None

 **Genre:** Family;

 **Rating:** K;

 **Warnings:** there are no warnings for this chapter. Read at your own risk.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Noblesse or any of the characters. No trademark infringement or profit is meant from the writing of this fanfiction.

* * *

M-21 eyed the vegetable with a wary and slightly disgusted look. His brows were furrowed, eyes narrowed into a glare, lips twisted into a grimace while he poked it with his fork, trying to decide what to do. He wasn't a picky eater, only because Seira and Frankenstein were great cooks, but this? He didn't like this. Carrots were evil. And he had to eat five pieces. Outrageous!

The werewolf's eyes shifted to Frankenstein, who was enjoying his meal in silence, apparently unaware of the child's struggle. Should he tell the scientist that he didn't like carrots? No, he should probably not; he wouldn't want to upset him. But what should he do? He could try to eat them and get it over with, but he just couldn't muster the willpower to do it. He didn't like those squishy, orange thingies which tasted really, really bad. How could the others eat them with such ease? Frankenstein told him that vegetables could help one grow big and strong – maybe they ate so many carrots in order to become adults that they got used to the taste and it wasn't affecting them anymore. If eating carrots was some kind of challenge to prove he was worthy of growing up, he would rather remain small.

It just had to be carrots, hadn't it? Couldn't it be something else? He was fine with spinach and with enough willpower, he could handle broccoli too, but carrots were a completely different story. He couldn't even stomach the smell, let alone that horrible taste and mushy texture.

Takeo smiled sympathetically at the child who kept poking the carrots with his fork, clearly not having any intention of eating them, but not daring to say he didn't like them. Was it because of his stubbornness or because he didn't wanted to upset Frankenstein, the sniper didn't know. Every time the werewolf picked a piece of vegetable and tried to bring it to his lips in an attempt at eating it, he would stop mid-way, his mouth twisting into a grimace, his little pink tongue sticking out in disgust, glaring at the carrot as if it had offended him somehow. He would then put it back on the plate, continue glaring at it for a few moments, then try to pick it up again. The cycle went on and on, until all the carrot pieces were full of holes from being poked repeatedly with the fork, yet still left uneaten.

Apparently, the sniper wasn't the only one amused by the child's antics, as the rest of the household members were trying not to chuckle or snicker, watching M-21 out the corner of their eyes as he was battling the evil carrots, determined not to give in no matter what.

At the fifteenth attempt, Takeo was about to ask the werewolf if he wouldn't want to trade the carrots, when Frankenstein let out a long, suffering sigh, putting down his own cutlery, before looking at the M-21 with a gentle smile.

"Little one," the werewolf glanced at him with a guilty expression, expecting to have gotten into trouble for not eating the vegetables, "it's alright not to eat the carrots if you don't like them."

"But you said I have to eat them because they're healthy," the werewolf mumbled unsure.

"You have to eat vegetables because they help you grow big and strong, but it's no crime not to like a certain type," there was really no need to force the child to accept them as he could unknowingly eat them if they were cooked into another type of dish, such as a stew or a soup.

"Okay," M-21 looked relieved that he didn't have to eat the carrots anymore. "Do you have a vegetable you don't like?" he tilted his head inquiringly.

"I'm not particularly fond of broccoli," Frankenstein huffed in amusement and shrugged, wondering what was the little werewolf up to now.

"Wanna trade?"

TO BE CONTINUED… :)


	9. Puppy

**Title:** Chapter IX: Puppy

 **Writer:** Madame aZure

 **Fandom:** Noblesse;

 **Pairing:** None

 **Genre:** Family;

 **Rating:** K;

 **Warnings:** there are no warnings for this chapter. Read at your own risk.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Noblesse or any of the characters. No trademark infringement or profit is meant from the writing of this fanfiction.

* * *

"He doesn't really like me, does he?" Muzaka sighed in resignation, ruffling his hair with a hand, as once again M-21 had disappeared from the sight as soon as he set foot in the house.

Since he had tricked the child into cuddling him, the little one has done everything he could to stay away from him, running and hiding every time he came to visit, not coming out until he left. No one managed to convince M-21 to stay in the same room with Muzaka more than one or two minutes before attempting to leave, one way or another.

"You can't really blame him," Frankenstein hummed as he poured Raizel a fresh cup of tea. "He must think you're a suspicious person after what you've done and it's only natural that he wants to stay away from you." Really now, of all the strategies he could've chosen to get closer to the child, he had to pick the most straightforward one. It's no wonder it backfired so badly.

"M's a little difficult when it comes to trusting people," Takeo smiled reassuringly. "Don't take it to heart, sir," he advised.

"Yeah, even we had troubles 'taming' him," Tao laughed, remembering the first few days after M-21 had become the way he was now. Aside from Frankenstein and maybe Seira, he hadn't let anyone get too close to him, glaring left and right, wary and seemingly ready to run away at a moment's notice. "Just give him some time," _'and hope – no, pray for the best,'_ Tao wanted to add, because unless a miracle happened, Muzaka had no chance of getting any closer to M-21.

"Perhaps you are right," Muzaka sighed once again. It was hard to admit that gaining the child's trust was perhaps a foolish attempt at soothing his still grieving heart. That child reminded him too much of his daughter – he had the same determined eyes, same heated glare, same strong will, but… he wasn't her and will never be. He could never replace her or fill the ever-bleeding wounds in Muzaka's longing heart, but there was nothing wrong with showering him with affection in her place. If he could, that is, because so far, the child wouldn't even want to hear about him, let alone spend time with him.

"Oh, I know!" The hacker beamed, as an idea just dawned on him. "Since children love animals, maybe if you transform into a wolf, he'll play with you," he grinned brightly.

"That's not such a bad idea," Muzaka hummed, scratching his chin, actually taking the advice to heart.

"Introducing a five-year-old to a fully transformed werewolf? Absolutely brilliant," Frankenstein retorted in the most sarcastic tone he could manage, glaring at the hacker, who shrunk in his seat under the weight of the scientist's threatening gaze. Of all the times he couldn't hold his tongue, he had to chose precisely this moment and Muzaka as an accomplice for his rather idiotic idea, hadn't he?

"Well, the pup already hates me from the bottom of his heart, so I don't see how it could worsen the situation," the werewolf laughed awkwardly.

"By terrifying him," Frankenstein narrowed his eyes, apparently entering his protective-parent mode.

"You'll be there, so he won't be afraid," Muzaka replied, knowing that the little one would instinctively seek the scientist whenever he needed help, feeling safer in his presence.

"Besides, he might like a big, fluffy puppy," Tao intervened in a cunning tone, but one look from Frankenstein told him he would better keep his mouth shut unless he wanted to face his wrath.

"If he does wish to play with animals, we'll take him to a petting zoo. Under no circumstances I will have a werewolf transform in the living room," the scientist stated firmly, shuddering at the horrifying prospect of what the blast of Muzaka's transformation could do to his house: the mess, the havoc, the mayhem. Dear lord…

"I'll transform quietly," Muzaka said, trying to persuade him.

"If memory serves, you've always had a rather distorted definition of 'quiet'," Frankenstein replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "This whole situation is only your fault and I see no reason for which I should force M-21 to do something he doesn't want to, unaware or not. If you had even an ounce of patience, it could've been avoided altogether, but after all, patience hardly suits a werewolf, isn't that right?" he raised an eyebrow, the blue of his eyes darkening.

Muzaka's expression saddened, knowing that there was nothing more he could say to Frankenstein, as the scientist's words regarded more than just the issue of the pup hating him. He hadn't forgiven the werewolf for what he has done to his Master and never will, as he knew how to hold a grudge. Their relationship being on 'amiable' terms was just for Raizel's sake and nothing more, but even that could change in the blink of an eye.

"Then there's really no chance for me to make it up to the pup, is there?" Muzaka asked quietly.

Frankenstein chose not to state the obvious, simply taking a sip from his tea, when his eyes fell upon Raizel and he froze. The noble looked at him with what could be best described as puppy-eyes, silently pleading the scientist to help his friend. Frankenstein could almost feel his heart melt at that expression, which was more compelling than any order, and with a sigh, he resigned to his fate and gave in – of course he gave in, this was Raizel after all.

"Fine," Muzaka's head perked up. "But if M-21 says no, then it's no and that is final," Frankenstein put the teacup on its saucer, sitting up. He needed to go on a little errand first, before talking to the child. After all, Muzaka shouldn't have it easy, should he?

 **~Z~**

There was a big dog in the living room – that was M-21's first thought upon sighting Muzaka's wolf form. And by 'big' he actually meant huge, because that dog had to be at least as tall, if not even taller than a human when standing. Thankfully, he was sitting down in a relaxed position, resting his head on his front paws, wagging his tail lazily, a playful glint in his eyes. His fur was silver, almost white in the right light, had several scars across his body, and his gaze seemed far too focused, too intelligent for an animal. Such a strange dog he was…

Frankenstein came and told him that Master's friend had left so it was finally safe for him to come out of his hiding, but that unfortunately they had to look after his dog for a while. Truth be told, he was expecting something else… something a little smaller, perhaps?

"That's a big doggie," the child said warily, tightening his grip on Frankenstein's hand. "Are you okay with it? He'll shed on the carpet," he asked looking up at the scientist with concern, knowing that the other really valued cleanliness and tidiness.

Takeo and Tao had to stifle their snickers at the child's commentary, at which the dog appeared to have huffed in indignation. Apparently, M-21's problem wasn't the seven foot tall silver wolf in the living room, was the fact that Frankenstein might get upset by him getting fur all over the place.

"It's alright," the blond chuckled, "we'll just shave him if he does," he shot Muzaka an ominous smirk. Of course, he could've corrected the child, telling him that Muzaka was in fact some sort of wolf, but he had something else in his mind. Something a little more… devious.

"Would you like to pet him?" Tao intervened excitedly.

"No," the child shot him down instantly.

"But just look at how fluffy he is!" the hacker grinned, gesturing to Muzaka with both his hands as if he was introducing a product to a customer.

M-21 frowned at him for a moment, his lips set in a thin line, suspecting that something was up, then looked at the dog and his expressions somewhat softened. The doggie appeared to be indeed rather fluffy. The child idly wondered how it would feel to run his hands through his silver fur and pet him and maybe play with him a little…

"Does he bite?" he asked unsure.

"I assure you he doesn't," Frankenstein answered, smiling at him. "Would you like to get closer to him?" he asked, feeling M-21's hand twitch into his. Apparently, the child found reassurance in holding someone whom he trusted close, as if to convince himself that he wasn't alone anymore and that there was someone he could rely on. Perhaps this tendency was an instinctual vestige left from the time when his comrades were still alive, which his older version might've learnt to suppress, since he wouldn't voluntarily do that. But as a child, his behavior was a little more instinctive, raw, unpolished yet and he would openly express his need to have someone close.

The child pondered the idea for a few moments, considering whether it was safe or not to do that. So far the dog had behaved, not moving from where he stood, simply watching them patiently, so M-21 guessed he was trained and there was no danger in approaching him.

When he finally nodded, Frankenstein walked over to Muzaka, who raised his head, ears perked up at them. They stopped in front of him, M-21 instinctually edging closer to the scientist.

"You can pet him, if you want," Frankenstein encouraged the child, who was still hesitating, his eyes locked on the werewolf before him.

M-21 slowly raised a hand to pet the dog, his little fingers tentatively touching his muzzle. Seeing as he did not react badly to being touched, the child gained a little more confidence and put his whole hand on it. The dog closed his eyes and leaned into his palm, sighing in content, as the little one moved his hand from the dog's muzzle to his head, dipping his fingers into the soft fur, enjoying its pleasant texture.

"He's really fluffy," M-21 noticed timidly, unknowingly letting go of Frankenstein's hand to better pet the dog.

The dog's fur was puffy and soft around the more sensible areas, such as the ears, while on his back it was coarser and longer. He seemed to like being scratched under his jaw or behind the ears, pushing against the child's hand, who took it as a sign that he was enjoying it.

M-21 frowned as his fingers passed over the scar on the left side of the dog's muzzle.

"He has been hurt," he observed. "Is his owner treating him badly?" he asked looking up at Frankenstein, a little concerned that the doggie might've been abused, which meant that his owner was even meaner than he initially thought. Not only he was tricking people into cuddling them, he was hurting dogs too? He was such a bad person!

"Oh, no," Frankenstein shook his head. "It's just that he got in a lot of fights with other… dogs."

"Oh," M-21 was a little relieved that the doggie hasn't been hurt by his owner.

Muzaka chose to ignore the fact that Frankenstein had just called his fellow werewolves 'dogs' because the plan was working perfectly: the pup had accepted him and even seemed to be a little happy to pet him. Leaning in, he rubbed his muzzle against M-21's face, at which he chuckled lightly, tickled by the werewolf's soft fur and whiskers. With a huff, he rested his head on the child's shoulder, feeling the pup hug him in a tentative embrace as his little hands barely encircled his neck.

"He's really warm," M-21 unknowingly said, as the dog was far warmer than he had expected.

"He is, isn't he?" Frankenstein smiled seeing as the child was getting more comfortable with being in Muzaka's presence. "Oh, I forgot I have brought something special for him. I'll be right back."

"Okay," M-21 nodded, watching the scientist leave the room before he resumed petting the dog.

Muzaka wondered where Frankenstein left, feeling that he might be up to something, but was distracted by the little one who was now intrigued by his fluffy ears and the way they reflexively twitched at the slightest touch.

A few minutes later, Frankenstein returned with a paper bag in his arms and a sweet smile that could be contrasted only by his dark aura, a clear indication that he was up to no good.

"Unfortunately, his owner hasn't left us any supplies for him, so I went out and bought some," the scientist explained when M-21 looked at him in inquiry, putting the paper bag on the coffee table, taking out several items from it. With each item revealed, Muzaka, Tao and Takeo's eyes went wide, the horror of the revelation dawning on them, while Raizel was as clueless as ever. Frankenstein could only smirk in satisfaction as he placed on the table several dog toys, a collar, a leash, brushes and dog shampoo. "Since he will be staying with us for a while, we need to take good care of him. Would you like to help me give the _doggie_ a bath, little one?"

Muzaka's eyes went even wider at the word 'bath', his head snapping up at Frankenstein, who's unsettling smile made the fur on his nape stand. He then looked at the pup, and much to his dismay, he saw him nod, his eyes sparkling at the idea.

"Now, doggie, let's go take a bath," Frankenstein beckoned him, his smile not faltering even for a moment, the shampoo and the brushes in one hand.

"C'mon, Mr. Doggie," M-21 innocently called him, tilting his head and waiting for the dog to stand up and follow him.

Muzaka, former werewolf lord, had done a great deal of thing throughout his life, but getting a bath from a child was not one of them. And still, M-21 looked at him with such bright eyes, it was hard for him to refuse. With a long sigh, he gave in and stood up, much to the scientist's satisfaction. He was aware this was some kind of twisted form of payback, since Frankenstein had mastered the art of holding a grudge to perfection and unfortunately, there was nothing he could do. He couldn't disappoint the pup now, could he?

He followed them further through the house and into the bath, which was rather large, having a shower big enough for Muzaka to get in with ease. Frankenstein helped M-21 put his little apron and his pink gloves, before putting his. He took the showerhead from its support, turned it one and adjusted the right temperature of the water.

"Can I do it?" M-21 asked, clumsily masking his eagerness to be the one to clean the doggie.

"Of course," the scientist chuckled, giving him the showerhead.

The child sprayed Muzaka with water, running one hand through his fur to make sure it was thoroughly wet, avoiding his head. After that, he turned off the water, grabbed the shampoo bottle and squeezed a rather generous amount, spreading it on the fur. The little one frowned in concentration, lips pressed tight, diligently washing the dog that was almost three times as big as he was.

Unfortunately, the child had put a little too much shampoo and in a matter of minutes, all that was left of Muzaka's body was a cluster of pink bubbles and foam. Frankenstein had to stifle his chuckles at the exasperated expression the werewolf lord was showing. Yet one look at the pup who was so engrossed in what he was doing he was unaware of the mountain of bubbles, and Muzaka's expression softened. He barely even felt those little hands washing him, and yet, the child still gave it his all even though it might've been a little too much work for someone as small as him.

"I think that should do it," Frankenstein said after a while, not necessarily because Muzaka had been thoroughly cleaned, but because the little one was getting tired.

After rinsing all the foam, the scientist closed the shower door, so Muzaka could shake freely. In the meantime, he went and brought a few towels and a hairdryer, which he gave to M-21, since he was so determined to take care of the dog on his own. As soon as Muzaka stepped out of the shower, the child began wiping the excess water with the towels, then moving on to completely dry him with the hairdryer. By the time he was finished, the werewolf was twice as fluffy as he was in the beginning, his fur sticking out in every direction.

"We'll have to brush him," M-21 hummed, noticing the dog's fluffiness. "Can I take him to my room?"

"Of course," Frankenstein answered.

Muzaka only sighed in resignation. What was a little bit of brushing compared to being bathed and dried like a pet? The pup seemed to be having fun, so no harm in it, was it?

"Little one, I have to go and see if Master wouldn't like another cup of tea. Do you think you can handle everything?" the scientist asked him.

"Sure," M-21 replied, taking off his apron and his gloves.

Once he was in the child's room, Muzaka jumped onto the bed and settled down, patiently waiting for the pup to join him. M-21 took a seat near him and began brushing him with careful, gentle moves. The werewolf watched him with an amused expression as once again the little one was very focused on what he was doing. The child started with the head, being especially attentive around the more sensitive areas, such as the eyes and the ears, after which he moved onto the ruff, smoothing down the long fur, then finally he groomed his back.

"That should do it," the child said with a jaw-cracking yawn after he had finished, putting the brush on the nightstand and admiring his work.

Muzaka nudged M-21 with his muzzle into a more comfortable position, making him lie against him, before curling around him and looking at him expectantly.

"You wanna take a nap too?" the child asked. "Mm, a nap sounds good," he continued leaning against the fluffy dog, closing his eyes. Muzaka's comforting warmth lulled him and in a matter of minutes he relaxed, his breathing evened out and eventually drifted off to sleep.

After a while, Frankenstein appeared in the doorway to check on them, finding the little one sound asleep.

"You're welcome, Mr. Doggie," he smiled smugly at Muzaka, before turning the lights off and closing the door so the child could sleep comfortably.

Aside from some… complications, this plan hasn't been so bad after all.

TO BE CONTINUED… :)


	10. The Cookie Thief

**Title:** Chapter X: The Cookie Thief

 **Writer:** Madame aZure

 **Fandom:** Noblesse;

 **Pairing:** None

 **Genre:** Family;

 **Rating:** K;

 **Warnings:** there are no warnings for this chapter. Read at your own risk.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Noblesse or any of the characters. No trademark infringement or profit is meant from the writing of this fanfiction.

 **Author's Note:** I would like to thank you, dear readers, for all your kind words. I still can't stop flailing like an idiot over every single review :3 Thank you once again!

* * *

The little one's expression was a mask of sheer determination as he glared heatedly at the cookie jar inconveniently placed on one of the high shelves of the kitchen cabinets. Standing on his tiptoes, supporting himself with one hand on the counter so he wouldn't fall face-first on it, he tried reaching it with a hand.

"C'mon," he mumbled through gritted teeth, but no matter how much he tried to stretch his arm, he just couldn't close the distance between his hand and the cookie jar. After a few more attempts, he gave up with an exasperated sigh. Stupid cookie jar placed way too high. Why was everyone so tall in that house (except for Regis, but he was the exception that proved the rule)? Or maybe he was too small? Perhaps he should've ate those carrots after all…

But now, he had another challenge to face: he needed to get that cookie jar. What if he tried jumping? He could try…

A few jumps later, this idea was discarded as well, one, because it was too noisy, and two, because he wasn't getting any closer to his goal.

It was time to change the tactics. Looking around the kitchen, he spotted the chairs tucked under the table. He could climb on one of those to get to the shelf but… he was told he shouldn't do that. He could fall, hurt himself and get grounded in the process if Frankenstein found out that he was doing something he wasn't supposed to. Still, this wasn't the time to have second thoughts: desperate times required desperate measures and a little bit of thinking outside the box. If he was quick and sneaky enough, no one would've find out about his little misdemeanor so there was no need to worry, right?

He went over to the table and took one of the chairs, bringing it to the counter above which was the shelf he wanted to get to. He climbed on top of it, resting one knee on the countertop for more stability, and stretched his little arms to reach the cookie jar. Just a little bit more… and victory! The jar was in his hands! He allowed himself to smile a little at his success, knowing that he still needed to deliver it and put the chair back to its place so he wouldn't be found out.

He turned around just to do that but froze on the spot like a deer caught in the headlights. Frankenstein was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, lips curled into an amused smile, trying not to chuckle at the little one's alarmed expression as he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, figuratively speaking.

"Oh my, who knew we had a cookie thief in the house?" he asked chuckling lightly

"I can explain," M-21 blurted out rapidly, all the color draining from his face, the cookie jar pressed against his chest.

"Little one, you know you're not supposed to have cookies before dinner because you'll spoil your appetite," Frankenstein reproved him gently, his smile not faltering even for a second. M-21 hardly ever broke any rules, being a rather quiet type of child, so he had to have a reason for trying to steal the cookie jar when he wasn't supposed to have any snacks before dinner.

"They're not for me," the little werewolf continued, his voice tinged with panic.

"Oh? And for whom they might be?" the scientist asked.

"They're for Raizel," the child's reply made Frankenstein raise his brows in surprise. "He seemed upset that we can't have snacks before dinner so I just wanted to give him a cookie to cheer him up," he spoke rapidly, trying not to stutter. "I'm sorry," he bowed his head in shame, averting his gaze, waiting to be grounded for doing something he shouldn't have done.

Frankenstein's smile only widened at the child's justification. Apparently, even the little one gave into Raizel's charms. The scientist had to learn the hard way how to resist to them, and even he wasn't completely immune to the noble's puppy eyes. However, if left to his own devices, Raizel wouldn't eat anything but sweets, so Frankenstein had to impose a few rules regarding meal time, whether he liked it or not. It was very important to have a healthy lifestyle, regardless of the race.

"I see," the scientist said as he came to M-21 and picked him up in his arms so he would out of the danger of falling down from the chair.

"Are you upset?" the little one asked shyly.

"For climbing on a chair and risking hurting yourself? Yes," the werewolf shrunk in his arms. "For stealing the cookie jar just for Raizel's sake? No," M-21's head snapped up, looking at him with wide eyes. "You could've asked someone to help you." He was sure that Tao and Takeo would've helped him in the blink of an eye, even if that meant slightly going against Frankenstein's word. They were rather weak against the little one's adorableness, but after all, who wasn't?

"Sorry," M-21 mumbled the apology.

"It's alright, little one," the scientist replied, supporting the child's weight with one arm and ruffling his hair with the other. His gaze fell on the cookie jar still in M-21's hands. "Well, you can't have the whole cookie jar, but how about a compromise?"

M-21's head perked up, his eyes sparkling with interest, the fear that he might've got into trouble slowly fading away.

"Both you and Raizel can each have a cookie, but don't make a habit out of it, alright?"

"I promise," the werewolf nodded, glad that he had succeeded in obtaining the noble a cookie.

Frankenstein put the child down, took the jar from his hands, opened the lid and tilted it to him so he could reach in easier. M-21 took two cookies from inside and with a hurried 'thank you' he disappeared from the sight, going into the living room. The scientist placed the jar back on the shelf and then followed him.

"I got you a cookie," the little one said victoriously, handing Raizel his cookie.

The noble looked up from his book to the child's offering, his head tilted ever so slightly in surprise. His gaze shifted to Frankenstein, asking if it was all right to accept it, to which the scientist gave a short nod.

"Thank you," Raizel said quietly, his fingers gracefully curling around the treat, taking it from the werewolf's hand.

"You're welcome," the child answered before taking a seat near the noble.

They both began eating their respective cookies, and although M-21 couldn't even begin to mimic Raizel's elegance, he was doing his best not to get crumbs on the sofa. Next time he'll ask Frankenstein directly, rather than to try and steal the cookie jar… probably.

TO BE CONTINUED… :)


	11. Troublemaker

**Title:** Chapter XI: Troublemaker

 **Writer:** Madame aZure

 **Fandom:** Noblesse;

 **Pairing:** None

 **Genre:** Family;

 **Rating:** K;

 **Warnings:** there are no warnings for this chapter. Read at your own risk.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Noblesse or any of the characters. No trademark infringement or profit is meant from the writing of this fanfiction.

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There was no better way to relax after a long day of work than with a movie, a lot of treats and the company of your family, Tao decided. Well, all the family, except M-21. Although the hacker went to great pains to convince Frankenstein to let M-21 watch movies with them past his bedtime, the little one simply fell asleep not long after the movie began, so they had to take him to his room and tuck him in bed. It might've slipped Tao's mind that his comrade was still a child who needed a lot of sleep. Oh, well, he'll just have to find a way to compensate for this little slip-up of his. Maybe organize a trip somewhere fun? Hm, that was an interesting idea…

The movie was nearing its end, when a loud thud followed by the sound of urgent footsteps thumping in the room above them distracted them from it.

"Shouldn't the little one be asleep by now?" Takeo frowned, looking to the part of the ceiling from where the sounds were heard.

"He should," Tao hummed in response. "Maybe he had a nightmare and woke up? I'll go check it out," he sat up and left the living room.

The rest of them resumed watching the movie, considering that the hacker could handle something like this. And it appeared to be so because the noises above them ceased strangely abruptly. Not even a few seconds of peace and quiet later and the noises returned, now something more of a ruckus, complimented with the sound of things breaking and exclamations like 'ouch', 'hey' and 'don't do that', all these belonging to Tao. This was definitely unusual, but only when glass shattered with a loud crash, Frankenstein and Takeo decided it was time to intervene, going to M-21's room.

The room looked like a hurricane passed through, from the bed covers ruffled and torn, to the several things thrown around, probably after being used as projectiles, to the broken window, shards of glass scattered everywhere.

Tao was in the middle of all this chaos, hair disheveled, a claw-like mark over his nose, bite marks and scratches all over his arms, his clothes ripped as if he had just battled a feline of some sort. Or a wolf. Currently, he was trying to keep M-21 from escaping his grasp, one of his arms going around the child's torso to support him and hopefully still him, the other arm… being a little occupied at the moment as the werewolf was gnawing at its wrist. The child had his fangs sunken so deep into the hacker's wrist that blood was seeping from the wound, a low growl resounding from the back of his throat. He was wriggling and squirming, trying to escape, his little claws scratching Tao's arm in hopes of forcing him to let go. Although the whole situation was ridiculous, what really drew attention were, well… the new appendages the child was sporting. On top of his head, a pair of fluffy, silver, wolf-like ears were pushed back into a position that showed fear, while a bushy tail was curled around him. He glared heatedly, his slitted irises going from Takeo to Frankenstein, watching them intently in case either of them made a move.

"Uh, a little help here? His fangs are sharper than they look," Tao laughed awkwardly, wincing when the little one dug his fangs even deeper into his wrist.

Frankenstein simply sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose. He had assumed that something like this would happen since young werewolves had a tendency to suddenly lose control over their transformations and with M-21 in that state, it was only a matter of time. He attempted to come to the hacker and save him from the biting werewolf, but not even one step in the room and the little one's growls grew louder, upper lip curling over his fangs, eyes narrowing, all his attention focused only on him. Frankenstein wasn't even fazed at this brave display of threats, merely amused.

"Young man, no growling at people under this roof," he reproved him, coming to them with slow, firm steps to show that he meant his words. M-21 growled at him loud enough for his throat to vibrate visibly, tensing in preparation for either flight or fight depending on what the blond did, but one blink and his eyes widened and shifted from Frankenstein to the door, as if there was something that demanded attention.

"Little one," Raizel called him, appearing in the doorway so silently as if he had just materialized from thin air. Although his face was thrown into a dim shadow by the lights coming from the hallway, his eyes shone like hot iron, fixing the child not in a angry or threatening way, but rather a focused way, as if he was searching for something within the child, something difficult to reach. "Calm down," his words echoed in the room with the power hidden in them and perhaps even a command, but the gentle tone proved otherwise. It was rather an awakening call than an order.

The werewolf looked at him, mesmerized by his crimson eyes, slowly relaxing and letting go of the hacker's wrist. With one blink, his slitted pupils dilated, sparkling with recognition, ears perking up towards the noble, his tail uncurling from around him, its tip wagging lightly. He then looked at the others in the room as if he was seeing them for the first time, and from a conscious point of view, it probably was.

One nod from Frankenstein and Tao put the child down, the little one going straight to Raizel, stopping in front of him and looking up at him. The noble smiled, patting him gently on the head, making the werewolf wag his tail even faster in delight.

"Sooo… is he all there or…" Tao was the first to talk, still grinning despite looking like he had attempted to wrestle a very angry cat.

"Currently he is mostly instinctual, but will transform back after some time," Raizel answered, his fingers carefully caressing the child's hair so he wouldn't accidentally touch his sensitive ears.

"As long as he doesn't want to chew my face off, it's cool," the hacker chuckled, inspecting his already healing battle wounds.

"You must've took him by surprise and that's why he attacked you," Takeo guessed with a huff, smiling at the little one who just closed his eyes and started leaning into Raizel's touch, enjoying being petted.

"Well, it's not like I was expecting to be ambushed by a tiny, vicious werewolf," Tao shrugged.

"Still, it would've been much appreciated if you could've handled this with a little less… collateral damage," Frankenstein let out a long, suffering sigh, one of his brows almost twitching at the sight of the wrecked room. "Tao, Takeo, please clean up this mess."

 **~Z~**

"He has transformed, but his aura remains unchanged," Regis noted with a slight frown, watching Seira with a perplexed expression as she happily brushed the child's puffy tail, her behavior hardly befitting a noble, but he was too much of a gentleman to mention it.

After Raizel and Frankenstein brought M-21 into the living room so Tao and Takeo could clean his room of the mess, all Seira needed was a look at the werewolf and her rigorous, yet elegant self-control snapped. The child had already charmed her, but add a pair of fluffy wolf ears, a tail and an innocent happiness in his eyes, and she was love-struck. Now master of the ways of baiting the werewolf with treats, all it took was a plate of vanilla muffins and she convinced him to let her groom him. M-21 wasn't even protesting, too preoccupied with the delicious muffins to care about what she was doing.

"He instinctually hid his presence," Frankenstein explained, taking a sip from his tea.

"Instinctually?" Regis asked for more clarification, since hiding one's presence was a conscious action.

"Generally, one has to learn how to suppress one's powers in order to hide the aura. However, this doesn't particularly apply to werewolves, since the way they develop is a little different from other species'. The first set of skills they acquire are the 'flight' skills such as speed, perception, camouflage, which enables them to escape a confrontation rather than fight their way out of it. Their claws and fangs develop much later in their lives, a pups' abilities being focused solely on survival," the scientist explained patiently.

"That doesn't really explain why he transformed," Tao intervened as he and Takeo had just entered the living room after having finished their cleaning task, taking a seat on the sofa. M-21 wouldn't usually transform unless he did it intentionally or there was a triggering event.

"It is not uncommon for werewolf pups to lose control and transform," Frankenstein answered.

"But the ears and the tail?" Takeo smiled in amusement, throwing a glance at M-21.

"Tail for a better stability of the overall movement set, ears, eyes and," Frankenstein paused to chuckle lightly, "whiskers for an enhanced perception field."

"Wait, he has whiskers?" the hacker asked, looking intently at the child, because while battling the little one and trying to keep him from biting him, he did not have the time to notice all the details. Indeed the werewolf had several white, almost transparent, long whiskers on his cheeks that moved in the rhythm of his chewing. "Dear god, he has whiskers…" Tao breathed out, hiding his face in his palms because the little one was just too adorable.

Seira finally finished brushing the werewolf's tail, M-21 raising it and inspecting it closely. Delighted with the results, his tail started waggling lightly. The child ignored its movement at first, going back to finish his muffin, then started watching it out the corner of his eyes, then finally turned all his attention to it, eyes narrowing into a playful look. He chewed the rest of the muffin and licked his lips clean of the powdered sugar, his body tensing like a predator's about to catch its prey. With a playful growl he pounced on his own tail, trying to catch it, failing to understand that it would move along with him. He looked at his hands with a surprised expression, not understanding why the tail wasn't in his claws. He threw a glance behind him to see where his new-found prey has gone, and sighting it, he went for another bold attack, completely oblivious at how the others were trying to stifle their amused snickers and chuckles. After some twirling and a few pounces, he was finally able to grab his sneaky tail, grasping it tightly with both his hands so it wouldn't escape, bringing its tip to his mouth to chew on it.

"Little one, don't bite your tail," Frankenstein reproved him, signing a 'no' with his index finger.

The child looked at him, the tip of his tail still in between his fangs, and after a few moments of pondering, he let it go reluctantly but kept on watching it with a playful glint in his eyes.

"What do we do with him until he transforms back?" Takeo asked, noticing the child's frolicsome behavior.

"How about we play with him?" Tao grinned brightly, while Frankenstein simply paled a the comment, horrible images of his house thrown into a havoc flashing before his very eyes.

 **TO BE CONTINUED… :)**


	12. Good Night

**Title:** Chapter XII: Good Night

 **Writer:** Madame aZure

 **Fandom:** Noblesse;

 **Pairing:** None

 **Genre:** Family;

 **Rating:** K;

 **Warnings:** this chapter contains OCC-ness. Read at your own risk.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Noblesse or any of the characters. No trademark infringement or profit is meant from the writing of this fanfiction.

 **Author's Note:** This fanfic was written for **o-c-o-c-o** , who was as kind as to draw fanart after this fanfic (I'm-so-not-freaking-out-because-someone-drew-something-after-one-of-my-fics-nevermind-I-totally-am) and who asked, well… you'll see.

 **Fanart Link: o-c-o-c-o[tumblr]com/post/144159142926/madameazzure-o-c-o-c-o-inspired-form-little**

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A jaw-cracking yawn announced the child's presence even before he entered the living room. He rubbed his eyes, but a sleepy frown still remained present as he looked around. Spotting Frankenstein having tea with Raizel, he went straight to him with slow, tired steps and without a word spoken, he climbed on the sofa, snuggling by the scientist's side as close as could to share his warmth. Curled like a cat, his eyes fluttered open and close several times, until they finally decided on the latter, his breathing evening out slowly as he relaxed.

Frankenstein simply smiled in amusement. "Sleepy, little one?" he asked quietly, running a hand through the child's hair, making him sigh in content and press further against his side.

"Mmm," the little one mumbled a 'no', his frown deepening for a fraction of a second before his expression softened. Of course he wasn't sleepy – M-21 was much too stubborn to admit it or too determined to stay awake… well, mostly awake as long as his bedtime allowed it. This had become some sort of a routine by now. The little one would never go to bed on his own accord. Instead each night he would gravitate towards some member of the household, nestle near them and slowly doze to dreamland by their side. And almost every night Frankenstein had to be the one taking him to his room and tucking him into bed because the others would just let the child sleep wherever he liked, cuddling or petting him.

The scientist shook his head and huffed at the response, placing his teacup on the saucer. "Come on, little one, it's time for bed," he whispered gently, picking the child up in his arms.

"'mkay, dad," M-21 said sleepily as he snuggled against the scientist's chest, resting his head on his shoulder and continuing to mumble something unintelligible.

It took Frankenstein a few seconds to fully comprehend the meaning of the appellative that was spoken so nonchalantly he almost dismissed it. As realization finally washed over him, his eyes widened as he glanced with a questioning look at the little creature sleeping soundly in his arms. He hasn't heard wrong has he? He couldn't have had. Not with that strange warmth, a mix of pride, happiness and surprise blooming in his heart, making it feel like it would burst at the seams any moment now and he would drown in that feeling. Not with the genuinely happy smiles the others were giving him.

"Awww," Tao grinned brightly, his eyes nothing less than sparkling at the child's involuntary comment.

"Tao, shush, you will wake him," Regis frowned for a moment, but his stern expression was immediately softened by a tiny smile.

"But that was sooo…" the hacker failed to finish his sentence, because Takeo put a hand over his mouth to stop him before his voice ended in a cheerful squeal or something similar.

"Adorable?" Seira filled in, a rosy blush on her cheeks.

Raizel's reaction was more elegant and dignified, simply choosing to smile and enjoy his tea, but there was something almost unnoticeably different in the way he was regarding Frankenstein.

Frankenstein stood up and left the living room, fearing that he might lose his composure at any second. He went to the child's room and laid him on the bed, making sure he was in a comfortable position, and covered him with the blanket. Looking at the little one's peaceful sleeping form, he reached and brushed away the bangs from his eyes, and with a moment of hesitation, he leaned in and pressed his lips on the child's forehead, pouring in that simple kiss all the precious warmth inside his heart.

"Good night, little one," he whispered as he left the room, closing the door carefully so he wouldn't wake the child. His hand lingered on the doorknob for a few moments as he couldn't stop the echo of that word from resounding in his memories. 'Dad'. To think that he had lived to see the day when he would be called 'dad'. His other hand went to his lips because he felt like he would start laughing at any moment now. Him, a father? That was something he's never even dared to imagine, not with the Union hunting him down, reducing him to nothing less than a man on the run. But here he was… by his Master's side, with a house full of children. Was this even real?

He raised his head as he sensed more than heard Raizel walk towards him.

"Master?" he asked as the noble stopped in front of him.

"Congratulations on being bestowed with the title of father. I am proud of you," Raizel stated with a shy smile, awkwardly patting Frankenstein on the head in an attempt to mimic what he's learnt that humans did to show appreciation.

"M-master…" he stuttered as the warmth was finally showing itself on his cheeks.

"I believe we should celebrate. Would you join me for another cup of tea?"

"Yes, Master."

"Oh, and I believe you should be aware that Tao seems to be planning to throw a party in your honor."

Party? Oh. No.

 **TO BE CONTINUED… :)**


	13. Like a Butterfly in a Storm

**Title:** Chapter XIII: Like a Butterfly in a Storm

 **Writer:** Madame aZure

 **Fandom:** Noblesse;

 **Pairing:** None

 **Genre:** Family;

 **Rating:** K;

 **Warnings:** there are no warnings for this chapter. Read at your own risk.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Noblesse or any of the characters. No trademark infringement or profit is meant from the writing of this fanfiction.

 **Author's Note:** this fanfic will be marked as complete for now, because I'm not sure when I will be able to update it [got a bloody graduate thesis to write :(]. I would like to thank you, dear readers, for all your support and kind words :) You're awesome!

* * *

The child flinched in fear and shut his eyes closed, a soft whimper escaping his lips when the night sky was torn in two by a fearsome flash of light. A terrible roar of some sort followed, echoing in the darkness and in his heart that beat faster and faster with each passing moment. Covering himself completely with the blanket, he pulled his knees to his chest, curling into himself, trying to be as small as possible. His lips burned and reddened when he bit them hard enough to seal away any whimpers and cries of fear that might've bloomed in his throat. It was just some rain. He shouldn't be afraid of it and yet, he couldn't stop himself from trembling and flinching at every explosion of light. The white teddy bear that Seira had given him was squeezed to his chest, finding some sense of safety in having the little, puffy toy close to him. Why did the thunder had to be so loud and scary? Not even the gentle pitter-patter of the drops falling on the window managed to calm him down. He could only hope the storm would stop soon or else he would not be able to fall asleep at this rate.

The creak of his door opening alerted him, so he peeked from under the blanket to see who could be up so late in this stormy night to come into his room. A relieved sigh almost passed his lips when he saw Tao and Takeo come in, their gentle smiles softly lighted by the night lamp at his bedside. They closed the door carefully so it wouldn't make too much noise and came to his side.

"Hey there, little one," Tao greeted him with his trademark grin as he took a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Hi," the child sat up, only his head and the teddy bear peeking out from his cocoon of blankets and pillows.

"Can't sleep?" Takeo asked even if he already knew the answer to that question. Those big silver eyes glistening with unshed tears were proof enough that the werewolf had been scared by the storm. He and Tao had a hunch that something like that might've happened, since the little one was, well… so little and impressionable, but decided to wait and see if the child didn't come to them for help first. When M-21 never came to them, they went to check on him, just to make sure he was alright.

"I…" M-21 paused and frowned, averting his gaze. "I was just about to fall asleep," he lied to the best of his abilities, trying to stop his voice from faltering and his lower lip from trembling.

"Really?" the hacker feigned surprise. "You must be really brave! We couldn't fall asleep with this scary storm going on," the child's head perked up at his genuinely impressed tone, while the sniper only sighed in exasperation at his comrade's dramatization, although he knew him well enough to know when to pick up the discussion's topic and lead it further.

"He's right," Takeo reached and ran a hand through the werewolf's tousled hair. "Could we sleep together with you?"

M-21 glanced at them with a hopeful look. If they didn't like the storm too, maybe if they slept together the scary weather outside wouldn't be so scary anymore.

"Sure," he said quietly, shifting away to make more room for them.

Tao and Takeo smiled at their success and climbed into the bed, getting under the covers and settling down by the child's side. Tucked nicely between them, the werewolf squeezed the teddy bear at his chest, closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep… until another thunder broke the silence, making him flinch.

"Hey, hey, it's alright. There's nothing to be afraid of," Takeo whispered softly, caressing his hair to comfort him.

"I know," the child frowned, cheeks puffed up in displeasure. "But I don't like the storm."

"Wanna see something?" Tao asked and the child nodded a little unsure.

The hacker brought his hands together as if he was holding something, sparks of blue energy flickering around his fingers like little fireworks. Their light slowly gathered and condensed in between his palms, making it look like he held a firefly or something similar. Maybe a small star, the child thought.

When he parted his hands, he held something akin to a blue butterfly, shining and sparking with energy. Its shape shifted and waved at first, but then it materialized even more, as if the energy somehow crystallized to give it some sort of consistency.

"H-how did you do that?" the child looked amazed at the small butterfly that began to flutter its wings as if it were real.

"Patience and a lot of practice," Tao laughed, choosing to avoid to answer the way he got his powers. "Wanna hold it?"

"Can I?" the werewolf asked in disbelief, unsure if he could touch something so… unreal

"Sure," he answered as the butterfly flew from his palm to the child's fingertips with the grace of a real being, its energy somehow molding around the werewolf's skin so it never touched it. It rested for a few moments, its wings fluttering delicately open and closed, then it flew again to the little one's other hand, landing on his palm as if it were a flower.

"It's so pretty," M-21 breathed out impressed, a shy smile on his lips, the fright of the storm long since forgotten with the help of a little blue butterfly.

 **TO BE CONTINUED… :)**


	14. Knights to the Rescue

**Title:** Chapter XIV: Knights to the Rescue

 **Writer:** Madame aZure

 **Fandom:** Noblesse;

 **Pairing:** None

 **Genre:** Family;

 **Rating:** K;

 **Warnings:** there are no warnings for this chapter. Read at your own risk.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Noblesse or any of the characters. No trademark infringement or profit is meant from the writing of this fanfiction.

* * *

"What do we do now?" M-21 asked, his fierce determination transposed into the serious tone of his voice. His grip on the plush bunny tightened, eyes narrowed in concentration, lips set in a thin line, scrutinizing the battlefield in search for an appropriate strategy to approach the challenge at hand.

Before him unfolded a tragic landscape that whispered to those willing to listen grand stories of brave knights and fearsome dragons, of heroes who rose and fell in the flames of the battle, of a never-ending clash between the forces of good and evil. A desolated battlefield made of all the pillows, blankets and plushies they could find in the house stretched as far as the eye could see, to every corner of the living room. Across it, on the other side of the room, tall, imposing and impossible to conquer, stood the Twin Towers of the Fearsome Dragons - two chairs with a white bed sheet tied between them. The towers guarded the Princess' Castle - the sofa - in which princess Raizel was held prisoner by the wicked dragons. The poor princess wallowed in distress and anguish, dreaming of the freedom that he has been robbed of, while calmly drinking his afternoon tea, apparently oblivious to the war going on around him. Still, he held his head high as his royal blood dictated, wearing his makeshift paper crown with dignity and poise. It was only natural for him to carry himself with such grace and his duty as Noblesse to fulfill the part he had been given in this story… even if that meant portraying the damsel in distress.

Two fearsome dragons were guarding him relentlessly, day and night - or at least until bedtime - until a brave knight could save him. The dragons were Tao, who could call upon his will the wrath of nature, summoning terrifying storms that frightened human and beast alike, and Seira, who had been bestowed with the knowledge of magic and potion-making, bringing armies to their knees with just a drop of her accursed concoctions.

"You will never defeat the dragons!" Tao announced proudly from the top of his tower/chair, his words dissolving into a cliché villain-like laugh. "Miss Seira, you too. We must instill fear into the knights' hearts," he whispered, grinning at the noble, one hand going to his mouth as a screen so the knights wouldn't hear.

Seira blinked at him then nodded, turning her attention to the knights. "Roar?" she tilted her head, politely playing her part as a dragon.

Back at the Knight's Fort, M-21 had his eyes glued on their target. "So?" he asked, glancing at Takeo, the archer.

"Perhaps we should attack the dragons?" Takeo replied, trying his best to be as serious as the child, although his lips betrayed him, curling into a smile. He still had no idea how did the five-year-old manage to involve almost all the household members in his pretend game. One moment they were spending a peaceful afternoon together, the next they were fighting dragons and saving princesses. Most likely Tao had something to do with it…

"How? We've already lost a knight," the werewolf looked at him worried. In their previous attack, knight Regis had been captured by Seira and was currently held captive in the Dragons' Dungeon, withstanding tortures that brought even the strongest of warrior on the brink of insanity - or made to wait on a chair until one of the knights reached him and freed him.

Regis had his arms crossed over his chest, watching the others with a displeased expression, still confused as to what exactly was this pretend game: it wasn't combat training, since they were not allowed to use their abilities, and at the same time they still had to fight, but only with pillows and plushies. His hubris, and perhaps foolishness, drove him to simply walk into the dragons' lair, forgetting about the nightmarish creatures that dwelled in there. All it took was one pillow hit from Seira, who was as confused as him but somehow understood her part in the game, and he had been captured. Now, his fate lied in the hands of his comrades, who had to come and rescue him; he could only pray for them to be strong enough to defeat the beasts.

"We attack at the same time and confuse them," Takeo suggested. "Which one should I take?"

"Hm," the child pondered the strategy for a few moments, resting his chin on his hand. "I'll take Tao, you try and slip past Seira and rescued Regis. After that, the three of us will stop the dragons and save the princess," he said with such a conviction that Takeo could not suppress his smile anymore.

"Ok," the archer gathered a few plush toys to use as projectiles. "You go first, I'll cover you."

The child nodded and took his position, waiting for Takeo's signal for when he should start running for the Twin Towers of the Fearsome Dragons. The plush bunny secure in his grasp, he inhaled, held his breath for a few moments while he gathered his courage, then exhaled and when the signal came, he dashed out of hiding.

At the same time, Takeo ran on the opposite side of the battlefield to the Dragon's Dungeon and had to duck behind a cover, as Seira targeted him with a pillow. Takeo countered with a plush toy, which the noble evaded with grace - neither of them could be hit by some toys thrown with such a low velocity, so in order to score a hit, they had to use tricks. Takeo threw other three toys to make her dodge and rolled the fourth across the floor next to her ankle so when she sidestepped to avoid the last thrown toy, she would touch it by mistake.

Which she did, bumping into the teddy bear by her feet.

"Oh, I have been wounded," she announced calmly, dropping to a knee to indicate the terrible 'pain' she was in.

On the other side of the battlefield, a werewolf peeked out from behind a cover, searching for the dragon he was supposed to slay. But Tao was nowhere near in sight: not behind the Great Bridge - the table - or behind the Stone Rest - the armchair. Where was he?

The child began to feel antsy, worried that he might've stepped into a trap. He considered retreating and rethinking his approach, but just when he was about to withdraw, Tao suddenly appeared behind him.

"Aha, I captured a knight!" Tao laughed as he caught the child, the werewolf yelping in surprise as he was lifted in the dragon's arms, his bunny slipping from his grasp.

"Nooo, lemmie go, lemmie go!" M-21 struggled, laughter bubbling in his throat as the dragon unleashed his terrible tickle attack.

"Tickle, tickle," the dragon grinned as the child tried to suppress his giggles, squirming in his embrace to free himself, but since he had dropped the plush toy he had nothing to defend himself with.

In the meantime, Takeo had managed to reach the Dragon's Dungeon and free Regis, who stood up from the chair, ready to finally take part in the game. Before they could decide what their next move should be, the child's giggles of help caught their attention. With and exasperated huff, the noble picked up a pillow from the floor and threw it at the hacker's face.

The pillow hit Tao with a 'poof' since he was far too focused on tickling the child to notice it. Still, a hit was a hit, so he had to release M-21.

"Oh, nooo, I have been hurt!" he wailed dramatically, falling to his knees and clutching his shirt where his heart was, although he had been hit in the head. "Oh, nooo, what a cruel fate! I think I'm seeing the light," he raised a hand to his forehead like a damsel, his grin not faltering even for a moment.

"You'll be fine, it's just a pillow," the child reminded him quietly, thinking that Tao might've forgotten that he wasn't really a dragon that had been slayed. Remembering that there was still a princess who needed saving, the werewolf slipped past the dying dragon and dashed to Raizel's aid. He quickly crossed the rest of the ravaged battlefield, careful of all the dangerous magic traps Seira had cast – plush toys scattered around – one wrong move and his quest would be all over. After passing the Dragons' Towers, the Princess Castle was in view, but to reach it, he had to pass a river of lava. The sight of the liquid inferno that flowed freely and consumed everything in its path might've frightened other knights, but it did nothing to dissuade him, for he was braver than anyone. Looking around, he saw the remains of a stone bridge he could use to advance. Jumping from pillow to pillow, not looking down so his resolve wouldn't falter even in the least, he passed the river and there it was: the Princess' Castle. With a huff, he rushed to Raizel's side, the noble elegantly placing the teacup on the coffee table to properly greet the knight.

"You're safe now," the child told the noble in all seriousness, Raizel giving him a polite nod in reply.

"Yay, the princess has been saved!" Tao rejoiced in a cheerful tone from where he was lying on the floor. "Now the princess has to kiss the knight as thanks," he clapped.

M-21 frowned at him, but when he turned to Raizel, the noble leaned in and pressed his lips on the child's forehead ever so gently.

"Thank you for saving me," he whispered and smiled at the little one, who blushed and looked away.

"Sure," he mumbled shyly.

"Now we have to celebrate!" Tao declared, Takeo only sighing in reply as there seemed to be no end to his comrade's... idiotic ideas. "How about an inside picnic since we already have all these blankets and pillows lying around?"

For a moment there was silence, everybody weighting whether to actually carry the plan out or just ignore Tao.

"I'll prepare the food," Seira stood up gracefully and left for the kitchen, that being the decisive sign that the picnic will take place.

"I suppose we have to gather the toys," Regis sighed, looking at all the mayhem around them. He still had no idea what just happened, but at least now he knew the proper way to act in such a setting - just do what others did, like Seira had done.

Frankenstein watched the children from the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, a gentle smile softening his expression.

All day long, he had been working on what looked like a never-ending pile of paperwork for school, but when he heard noises coming from the living room he decided it was time for a break. Moreover, he was intrigued as to what all that ruckus was about.

The moment he set foot into the room, his eye twitched in displeasure and his first intention was to warn his children to clean up the mess they've created, since the living room looked nothing short than a war-zone of plush and blankets... but he never found the heart to do it. How could he do something like that when he saw their happy expressions, radiant smiles and eyes sparkling of excitement, giggles and laughter filling the air, the room brighter than it has ever been before, and it was not the light that made it so. He stood there in silence, watching them battle dragons and saving princesses - it was moments like this that reminded him how proud he was to be a father.

 **TO BE CONTINUED… :)**


	15. Lost in the Woods

**Title:** Chapter XV: Lost in the Woods

 **Writer:** Madame aZure

 **Fandom:** Noblesse;

 **Pairing:** None

 **Genre:** Family;

 **Rating:** T;

 **Warnings:** this chapter contains coarse language and minor mentions of gore. Read at your own risk.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Noblesse or any of the characters. No trademark infringement or profit is meant from the writing of this fanfiction.

 **Author's Note:** This chapter is dedicated to **superkvothefan** , who drew this adorable fanart with tiny!M-21 in a wolf hoodie.

 **Fanart Link:** **superkvothefan**. **tumblr**. **com/post/147115203320/so-i-get-bored-in-class-and-cant-resist-to-make**

Special thanks to **elegancecity** , who had the patience of listening to me while blabbered about a fandom they're not even into (…yet) and theorized about weird stuff like werewolves' behavior or synesthetic/synesthesia-inducing howls.

* * *

The forest surrounded Frankenstein in a blur of green and brown as he swiftly moved through the trees. His eyes flickered left and right, desperately searching for something, anything to indicate that the little one was around, from the slightest move to the smallest sound, but much to his dismay, apart from the wind gently rustling the leaves and the occasional cry of a night bird, the forest was eerily quiet.

His frown deepened as he clenched his fists – he should've anticipated something like this would happen sooner or later; after all, werewolves, free spirits by nature, were rather fond of the natural landscapes, especially the curious little pups, who loved running and exploring their surroundings.

Since M-21 was so young, they had to take turns taking a day off from work or school to look after him, today being Regis' turn. When naptime came, the noble tucked the little one in bed, then went about his day with his usual chores. He hadn't sensed M-21 transform nor had he heard him leave his room. By the time he thought something wasn't quite right as the child was sleeping more than usual and went to check up on him to make sure he was alright, the werewolf was already far from home.

The noble urgently contacted Tao, who was able to track and follow M-21's movements throughout the city using the surveillance system. Thankfully, it seemed like the little one had gone out for a night run, exploring the city, hopping rooftop to rooftop or climbing up the tallest buildings to admire the cityscape. The bright lights and noisy crowds caught his attention, but he had the better judgment not to approach them, content with only watching from a distance.

Eventually, the werewolf made his way to the forest on the outskirts of the city. It was there Tao lost his track, and where RK had to start their search for the little runaway.

But finding M-21 was easier said than done: the child had instinctively concealed his presence, so none of them were able to sense him out. Moreover, they weren't sure to what extent was he instinctual, so they had no idea how he would react upon meeting them, whether he would recognize them or regard them as threats.

As Frankenstein kept running, he spotted a clearing not far from him. When he made his way to it, the sight forced him to an abrupt stop. His eyes widened in horror for a fraction of a second before narrowing dangerously, jaw set into a tight lock, his every breath slow, steady and seething with cold anger.

Claw marks.

The whole clearing was a wreck, craters and wood splinters everywhere, not a single tree left intact from the fight that had taken place there. Leaves and broken braches lied around, one of the trees severed in half from the sheer force of the impact it has been hit with.

Frankenstein approached the nearest tree to inspect the marks, running his fingers over the splintered wood. Even someone without his extensive experience could easily identify the two distinctive types of claw marks: one of them larger, deeper, the wood left almost charred from them; the other smaller, barely scratches on the bark.

Tiny claw marks made by a tiny werewolf.

Frankenstein gritted his teeth, Dark Spear hissing on the edge of his reason. Although he was angry, he kept his calm, knowing that losing his cool wouldn't be of any help in finding M-21. Still, that didn't mean he wouldn't dismember the one who dared touch a five-year-old, his child nonetheless, and make them eat the said severed limbs. He looked once again around the clearing: despite looking like a battleground, there was not a drop of blood anywhere in sight, which was a relief. But then again… not much force was needed to knock out a child.

He wasted no more time and followed the path of destruction, ready to rain hell upon the bastard that had the glaring audacity of doing such a thing as touching his child. As he quickly made his way through the forest, he spotted two figures in the distance: the little one he was looking for accompanied by an awfully familiar person with long, silver hair. Frankenstein should've been relieved to see Muzaka and not some other Union agent, given the werewolf's attachment and desire to protect and care for the child, but the devastated forest surrounding him and the fact that M-21 was in an attack stance drove him to think otherwise. Troublesome werewolves…

M-21 had his ears pushed back, tail curled closely to himself, growling lowly as he barred his fangs and displayed his claws. Slowly, without breaking eye contact, he crouched down low, ready to spring into an attack any moment now. Muzaka regarded him with an amused expression, his posture relaxed, arms crossed over his chest, casually leaning on one leg. He smirked and stepped to the side with a fluid movement as the child attacked him, avoiding the feeble attempt with a natural ease.

The moment he landed, M-21 followed in with another attack, but his claws never made contact with the target, as Muzaka effortlessly dodged this attempt as well – after all, the child was facing the former Lord of Werewolves whose title hadn't been just for show.

M-21 growled at him, eyes narrowing in annoyance. His opponent was surely skillful and his evades were irritatingly good, but that did not deter him in the least as he was determined to defeat the other, no matter how many tries it took. He realized that there was no way he could land a direct attack on the older werewolf, so it was time to change tactics. Instead of trying again, he leaped back into the bushes surrounding the clearing. Muzaka chuckled to himself, eyes occasionally following the rustle of leaves here and there that gave away the little one's attempt at changing his position in the hopes of taking him by surprise. So he stood his ground, patiently waiting to be ambushed.

For a moment the rustling ceased, the forest as quiet as ever. Muzaka could feel the little one's silver eyes glued onto his back, watching him closely, looking for the perfect moment to strike, much like a true predator. A tiny, vicious predator. With no warning, the little one leaped at him from the bushes he was hiding in, unleashing his 'sneak attack'.

This time Muzaka chose not to move, staying completely still as the child jumped onto his back, little arms going around his neck, fangs nipping the skin.

For a moment, M-21 stood there dumbfounded at the result of his attack – he hoped, but hadn't expected that it would actually work. As realization sank in, he began wagging his tail happily. He succeeded! He caught his prey!

"Heh, you finally caught me," Muzaka laughed, looking over at the little one, whose eyes sparkled at the appreciation. Reaching over his shoulder, he grabbed the child by his scruff and brought him into his arms. "C'mon, let me hear your victory roar!" he encouraged him, grinning widely.

"Rawr!" The little one gave him his best roar like the mighty werewolf he was, with a flash of tiny white fangs, proudly showing off his claws. However, since he wasn't old enough, the sound he let out was an adorable, heart-warming squeak that had Muzaka struggling to stifle his chuckles.

"Good job, good job," Muzaka said as he vigorously ruffled the child's hair. "I'd love to play more, but it looks like your dad's here to pick you up," he continued, nodding to where Frankenstein emerged from the bushes. The child followed the movement with his eyes and the moment he spotted the scientist, he jumped from Muzaka's embrace and ran to him.

"Little one," Frankenstein breathed out in relief, crouching down to meet the child. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly, worry still lingering in his eyes as he noticed the terrible state M-21 was in: his hair was tousled, there were rips in his clothes, small scratches and bruises here and there, already healing, and no shoes on. Frankenstein took off his black jacket and draped it on the werewolf's shoulders, the garment far too big for the child's lithe frame, then picked him up in his arms. Supporting his weight with an arm, he took out a stray leaf that had gotten caught into the little one's hair, attempting to comb the silver mess with his fingers.

"He's alright," Muzaka reassured him, watching the interaction with fondness in his gaze.

Muzaka had met the child while strolling through the forest, not too keen on hurrying back to Crombel. Although instinctual, the little one had recognized him as Raizel's friend, approaching him with curiosity. It has been far too long since Muzaka had last seen a pup as small as M-21, memories from when he was still the werewolves' Lord being brought to life: the peaceful times when the pack was still united, when they lived free of worries, when he was still able to teach the new generations the way of the claw.

Reminiscing days long since gone, he took the opportunity to pass his knowledge onto the child, showing him how to properly use his fangs and claws, his speed and strength. His heart stung painfully at the awe in the little one's eyes as he watched him with admiration while he demonstrated the techniques, at his determination to mimic him perfectly, even if his claws barely scratched the surface of the trees, at his genuine happiness when he succeeded and was praised for his efforts. Too many memories, too many regrets…

Frankenstein shot Muzaka a displeased look that advised him to keep his mouth shut. What adult, in their right minds, would choose to play with a lost child, rather than return him home unharmed? He was going to have a serious word with the werewolf and teach him a thing or two about responsibility, immediately after he got the little troublemaker home, gave him a good, hot bath, something to eat and properly tucked him in bed. He had his priorities.

"You had us really, really worried." Frankenstein turned his attention to M-21, reproving him with a slight frown.

Uh-oh. M-21 recognized that tone: he was in trouble. His ears slowly fell as he bowed his head, looking apologetically at the scientist from under his lashes. He growled a soft 'sorry', trying to nuzzle Frankenstein's neck, asking for forgiveness. The scientist huffed in amusement. "I am still upset that you've ran away," he told him while the child peeked up at him, "but I'm glad you're alright." Frankenstein's smile had M-21 lift an ear. So he was in trouble, but not really big trouble. Medium trouble.

An oddly human howl was heard in the distance, echoing in the night and scaring several birds in the process. The little one's ears immediately perked up and shifted in that direction.

When a second howl was heard, M-21's tail began wagging happily, as he tilted his head to the sky and replied with a howl of his own.

His pack. The rest of his pack was there.

Muzaka chuckled, watching the little one give his best howls, even if they were a little higher in pitch and he wasn't able to hold the note for too long. He was still just a pup with a lot to learn in order to become a true werewolf, but he was certainly on the right track. Nevertheless, one final lesson wouldn't hurt.

He growled lightly to draw the little one's attention. When the child stopped howling and looked at him inquiringly, he took a long, deep breath, properly filling his lungs. Tilting his head to the sky, he closed his eyes and let out a long, melodious sound, the somber howl of a lone wolf in the midst of the night.

M-21 watched him captivated – Muzaka's howl wasn't just a simple noise. It felt vivid, alive, full of emotions just beneath the veil of sound. It held colors he could not see with his eyes, but saw either way. He felt the blue, salty smell of the ocean, the cool, bright glaciers, the dusty, parched fragrance of the desert. He saw figures pass by him, werewolves he had not met before, laughing without a worry in the world. He felt the adrenaline of a fight, the tingle of the claws when striking.

He saw a story in a single sound.

So the child closed his eyes, breathed deeply and joined the howling with a story of his own.

 **TO BE CONTINUED… :)**


	16. Adventures in PuppyLand

**Title:** Chapter XVI: Adventures in PuppyLand

 **Author:** Madame aZure

 **Fandom:** Noblesse;

 **Pairing:** None

 **Genre:** Family;

 **Rating:** K;

 **Warnings:** this chapter contains minor coarse language. Read at your own risk.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Noblesse or any of the characters. No trademark infringement or profit is meant from the writing of this fanfiction.

 **Author's Note:** The enemy (aka. my thesis) has been slain! Puhraise the suuun, y'all! I am working on some new chapters and the prompts, but things are moving a lil' slow, because my brain is still fried, so for now bear, lion or whatever animal you wish (I know, lame pun) with me. Once upon a time, these were ideas for new chapters that never made it to my personal requirement of 1k words per chapter. So they're bundled here.

Credit to **BustedChina** for this chapter's title :)

* * *

 **Playground, Battleground**

"I'm still waiting for an explanation, little one," Frankenstein said in a calm but firm tone, crossing his arms over his chest, eyes narrowed in a displeased look.

M-21's glower only deepened as he refused to meet his eyes, head bowed to hide his gaze. His lips were set in a thin line, his tiny fists resting on his lap trembling ever so slightly. He chose not to answer, content with just glaring at the floor, his whole demeanor denoting defiance and not even a little bit of regret for his actions.

That left Frankenstein to assume that he must've had a good reason to do so, since M-21 would have never attempted something like this otherwise. He had already heard the other side of the story, with all its embellishments, exaggerations and melodrama, and he was more than certain there was more to it than that. He wanted to hear the child's side of the story too, if only he would tell it, because since the incident, M-21 had refused to say a word, glaring left and right.

"Why did you do it?" The scientist asked and once again, he did not obtain any reaction from the child. He sighed in exasperation and massaged the bridge of his nose, trying to find another way to approach the situation and convince M-21 to cooperate. "Little one, you know I have already been told what happened, but you also must know that I am aware there is more to the story than that. If you refuse to tell me your reasons, I will be forced to assume the worst and make a decision based on that."

After a few moments of heavy silence, the child finally mumbled an answer, his voice so soft it was but a whisper, fists tightening until his knuckles turned white. "Do what you want… I'm not sorry…"

"At least justify yourself and tell me what happened," Frankenstein reasoned calmly.

"You won't believe me." Just like the other adults didn't believe him in the first place. Sure, he shared a part of the blame for what he had done, but he wasn't the only one at fault. He did the right thing…

"I will, trust me." The scientist's tone softened, conveying the fact that he only wanted the truth and nothing else. "Why did you hurt those children at the playground?"

Another few moments of silence followed, Frankenstein waiting patiently for the child to gather his courage to speak. M-21 wasn't the type to quietly comply to being pressured to do something he didn't want to: the more one tried to do so, the more stubbornly he resisted.

"They were mean," the child whispered, unclenching his fists and fidgeting with his fingers.

"Mean?"

"They're always mean." Came the weak reply. "They bully everyone… They've picked on me too, calling me names and making fun of me. I kept ignoring them 'cuz they're idiots and don't deserve attention."

The scientist would've smiled at the mild swear if it weren't for his parental protectiveness flaring up at the fact that M-21 hid being bullied by the other children at the playground. And he wasn't the only one thinking like that, as everybody else in the living room tensed, the atmosphere suddenly heavy and unpleasant.

While it was true that the werewolf wasn't exactly the most social person in existence and one needed a lot of patience in order to gain his trust, that was no reason for being bullied. Frankenstein had noticed that the child seemed to be isolated from all activities at the playground, but when the little one dismissed it as nothing, he assumed that M-21 simply didn't like the other kids and chose not to press this matter further, letting him come to a decision on his own, be it to ask for help from them or deal with it how he saw fit. However, with what he was telling, things were slowly uncovered and placed in another light. They were hurting him and he kept silent.

"But today… one of them pushed another kid off the swing. She fell and got really hurt, and they laughed at her." The werewolf's tone became sharp and cutting. "She was crying and they just… kept laughing like it was so damn amusing," he sneered bitterly, remembering the incident. "So I got angry and broke that bully's nose. That ought to teach him to pick on someone his own size!"

So that was the whole story of what happened: why M-21 had started a fight, transforming the playground into a battleground, and why they had to literally pry four children out of his hands before he sent them all to hospital with more than just a few cuts and bruises.

He defended another child.

Frankenstein had to remind himself that he shouldn't be proud or condone a violent response to a problem, but he just couldn't stop himself from smiling. He came to M-21 and crouched before him. As he placed a hand on the child's head, the werewolf flinched in fear of a punishment, but seeing as nothing bad happened, he slowly relaxed into the touch.

"Little one, what you've done was very noble…" He said, gently stroking the silver locks, and M-21 raised his head to look at him in surprise. "But violence is not the answer…"

Frankenstein's eye twitched as he heard several suppressed chuckles coming from behind him, but worst of all…

"Hmmm," Raizel hummed suggestively, taking a sip from his tea.

"I trust that next time something like this happens, you will come to us for help first, okay?" The scientist continued, trying not to sweat-drop at his Master's allusive tone.

"Okay." M-21 gave a short nod, looking relieved.

"You're still grounded, though. As such, tonight we'll have steamed carrots as side dish." He smirked as the child looked at him with wide eyes, palling instantly.

* * *

 **~Z~**

* * *

 **Misunderstanding**

Rael had frozen into place, slowly becoming as pale as marble as all colour drained from his face. Crimson eyes were opened wide in shock, finding himself unable to tear his gaze away from the scene unfolding before him and stop staring so blatantly. His lower lip trembled slightly, mouth opening and closing several times as if he was struggling to give voice to his thoughts, his hands, fallen lifelessly by his side, shaking.

"Seira, how could you?" He asked, his tone a bitter mix of betrayal and aghast. "Y-you're a Clan Leader! And yet, you…" His words died in his throat as he just couldn't voice the storm in his head.

Seira holding a child.

Seira's child.

That was what caused his train of thought to derail so violently: Seira and the terrible possibility that the child she was holding in her arms might've been hers. Shocked to the very core, he failed to find a more logical explanation, or at least notice the obvious details that nullified his hasty assumption such as the fact that the child felt awfully like a modified human with a strong hint of werewolf, that he didn't resemble Seira in the least, or that he wasn't even a noble to begin with.

Seira elegantly raised her gaze from the children's book she was currently reading to M-21, the little one snugly nestled in her lap, and looked at him with a serene tranquility. Deciding that Rael was not worth the trouble of an explanation, she chose to ignore him and returned to the book to find out whether or not the baby-rabbit would be able to find his family.

M-21 was wearing a confused frown, but seeing as Seira wasn't even in the least bothered by the obnoxious blonde, he decided not to spare him another thought. He had had his share of unpleasant experiences with strangers…

Rael started trembling now, his head spinning, throwing chaotic thoughts into a troublesome mixture of irrational panic. Seira had a child. Which meant Seira had… she had… preposterous! Absolutely preposterous! Moreover, she hadn't even come forth to the Lord to introduce her partner and ask for the Lord's blessing for their union, which meant the child was… from an illicit relationship. Oh, Lord! She, a Clan Leader, having an illegitimate child?

The noble felt like he could faint any moment now. He was going to murder the one who dared touch Seira in such a perverse way and sully her purity and pride as a Clan Leader. But what about the child? Seira would have to raise the child alone… He couldn't just leave her when she was most in need.

His shoulders sagged in helplessness.

"I… I shall take responsibility!" He breathed out heavily, a closed fist over his heart to signify the vow.

Seira glanced at him and blinked, her tone calm and without inflection. "You're not my type." And returned to the story.

Rael was about to argue, when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Turning his head, he met Takeo's patient smile.

"Sir Rael…" Being the gentle soul that he was, the sniper had finally taken mercy on the poor noble and decided to clear the misunderstanding.

 _Five minutes and an explanation later ~_

"Oh…" Rael breathed out, the rather unusual explanation seeming far more plausible than his own assumption now that he was starting to calm down. "He's not Miss Seira's child…" Relief washed over him like a warm summer rain.

"Did you really think the little one was Seira's child?" Regis asked, his tone nothing short of sarcastic and derisive.

"Shut up, Landegre!" Rael snapped at him, but the evident blush on his cheeks spoke otherwise.

"Making such hasty assumptions… a behavior hardly befitting a noble," Regis tut-tutted, shaking his head.

"Why, you little…"

* * *

 **~Z~**

* * *

 **Distraction**

Fluffy silver ears dropped, an unhappy, growl-like grumble resounding from the back of his throat. His breath fogged up the window as he watched the clear droplets trickling down the glass, the low, continuous murmur of the rain in the background accompanying the almost hypnotic motion.

He let out a jaw-cracking yawn with a flash of tiny fangs, stretching his paws and his back. He was so bored, but dad said 'no going out to play in the rain' and he had to listen to him.

But he didn't care about the rain! He wanted to go out! He wanted to run, to feel the ground under his paws, the air rushing past him, his lungs burning wonderfully and his heart beating wildly from the thrill of a new adventure. He wanted to climb the tallest building in sight, then find the next tall building and climb that one too, but most importantly, he wanted to go into the forest! The forest that felt so much like home, like freedom, like there was nothing holding him back. A sea of green wherever you glanced, the wind gently blowing through the leaves, a home to creatures of all kinds.

Maybe, if he was lucky enough, he would meet the silver wolf again. He had been so much fun! Taught him how to use his claws and fangs, showed him how to hunt, how to attack and defend himself, how to hide in the forest. He had been a little disheartened when his strikes barely scratched the surface of the trees, but the silver wolf told him not to worry because he was still a pup, and that when he would grow up big and strong, nothing will stand in his way.

He wanted out. He wanted to run.

But dad said 'no'.

So he was stuck inside the house, watching the raindrops trickling down the window.

"Tao, what are you planning?" M-21 lifted an ear at the question, even if it wasn't addressed to him.

"He's sad. I just wanna cheer him up a lil'." The hacker's voice came out with a tinge of amusement.

M-21 was just about to turn his head and see what this fuss was all about when a red dot appeared on the glass. He blinked in surprise, ears perked up, tilting his head as he studied the curious little thing. For a moment it stood still, so he was just about to disregard it and return to gazing or glaring out the window, when the dot moved. Up, down, left, right and all around in a chaotic pattern.

M-21's pupils dilated, gaze sparkling with interest. With a playful growl, he put a paw over it to catch it. Carefully, he lifted his paw off the window, wishing to inspect the little red thing, but… there was nothing there? Where could it have disappeared?

Out the corner of his eyes he saw a flash of red, the dot reappearing a few feet away from him, on the floor. He turned to it, crouched down low into an attack position, then pounced it, claws out to catch his prey.

"Tao, stop teasing him." He heard Takeo say, a hint of exasperation in his words, but he didn't care because he just couldn't catch the dot. Whenever he approached it, it would swiftly move away from him, and if he was lucky enough to catch it under his paws, it would just disappear into thin air. But he wasn't the type to let his prey escape so easily. If the red dot wanted a fight, he was going to give it one.

"C'mon he likes it!" Tao said, his joyful laughter filling the room. "Takeo! Heads up!"

Before the sniper could even manage to ask why, the red dot landed on his chest and in a matter of moments, he had to steady himself not to lose his balance as he suddenly found himself with his arms full of wolf.

"Tao…" The sniper sighed, but smiled nonetheless, ruffling M-21's hair as the little one wagged his tail in excitement, inspecting Takeo for the red dot.

Tao? Was he the source of the dot? M-21 looked at the hacker, seeing something small and silver in his hands, like a pen of some sorts, one end flickering red for a second. The source of the red dot!

Not a moment later, M-21 jumped from Takeo's arms and pounced Tao. With a surprised yelp, the hacker lost his balance, stumbling backwards while trying to get a good hold on the werewolf. M-21 used the opportunity to grab the red dot's source, and with one foot on Tao's chest and the other on his shoulder, he jumped over him and bolted out the door, the hacker falling down on his ass in the process.

"Oh, sh–" Tao gasped, realizing what just happened. "He stole the laser! Get him!"

 **TO BE CONTINUED… :)**


End file.
